Unity Glossary

A

A/B Testing

A/B testing is an experimental approach that compares two variants of a feature or design to determine which version performs better with users, enabling data-driven decision making for optimizing engagement, retention, and monetization.
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Ad Exchange

An Ad Exchange is a real-time online marketplace where advertisers can buy and sell ad space and impressions
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Ad Fraud

Ad fraud is the deliberate process of preventing ads from being delivered to the intended audience in order to generate illegal revenue.
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Ad Inventory

Ad Inventory (or Advertising Inventory) is the ad space that a publisher is selling, which advertisers can buy.
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Ad Revenue

Ad Revenue is the money apps generate from in-app advertising.
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Ad Server

An Ad Server is a web-based app used by publishers to help with ad management, distributing ads to apps and web.
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Ad waterfall

Ad waterfalls are a system that enables developers to manage the ad networks they monetize with
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Ad Whales

Ad Whales are the small percentage of app users who generate the majority of a developer's ad revenue.
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Advertiser

An advertiser is the entity that pays for an app or brand to be advertised. They are on the “demand” side of mobile marketing and they are looking to spread a specific message about their product.
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Agency Trading Desk

Agency Trading Desks are media agency departments that handle digital advertising campaigns.
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Ambisonic Audio

Ambisonic Audio refers to a full-sphere surround sound technique that captures and reproduces sound from all directions, enhancing immersion in virtual reality and 3D environments by providing realistic spatial audio.
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Android App Advertising

Android is the leading mobile operating system worldwide in terms of size, taking up a 71% market share in January 2021.
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Anti-Aliasing

Anti-Aliasing is a technique used to smooth jagged edges (also called "jaggies") that appear in rendered graphics, improving visual quality in architectural visualizations, automotive designs, and interactive applications.
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Application Programming Interface (API)

An API, or Application Programming Interface is a set of rules that lets software components communicate with each other.
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App Active Users

App active users are called such when active users access an app within a given period of time, whether it be on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis.
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App Discovery

App discovery is the process by which mobile app developers get their app noticed by users.
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App Localization

App localization is the process of adapting an app’s functionality, interface, and marketing to suit foreign domains. Mobile app usage worldwide is increasing which makes localizing your app especially important.
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App LTV

LTV, or lifetime value, is a key metric which estimates the revenue a single user generates throughout their lifetime using an app. Ultimately, LTV predicts a user’s monetary value over time.
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App Metrics

Mobile app metrics and mobile game analytics are used to measure the success of mobile apps.
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App Promotion

App promotion is another term for mobile marketing and refers to the process by which app developers advertise their app.
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App Rating

App Ratings allow users to give feedback on their app experience and recommends future apps to try.
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App Re-Engagement

App re-engagement is the process of serving ads to people who have already shown interest in your app and have expressed previous intent to engage.
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App Session

An app session measures how frequently users interact with an app. Higher frequencies mean users are more engaged.
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Augmented Reality (AR)

Augmented reality is the overlaying of digitally-created content on top of the real world. Augmented reality - or 'AR' - allows the user to interact with both the real world and digital elements or augmentations. AR can be offered to users via headsets like Microsoft’s HoloLens, or through the video camera of a smartphone.
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AR Advertising

Augmented reality advertising superimposes 3D assets onto the user’s real world. Check out ironSource’s app monetization glossary outlining all essential terms in plain English.
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AR Light Estimation

AR Light Estimation is a feature that analyzes real-world lighting conditions through a device's camera to apply matching illumination to virtual objects, creating more realistic augmented reality experiences in architecture, retail, and automotive applications.
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ARCore

ARCore is Google's platform for building augmented reality experiences that enables motion tracking, environmental understanding, and light estimation on Android devices for applications in education, retail, and construction.
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ARKit

The ARKit is Apple's framework for creating augmented reality experiences that enables features like motion tracking, scene understanding, and light estimation on iOS devices for applications in healthcare, education, and retail.
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ARPDAU

Average Revenue Per Daily Active User (ARPDAU) is a metric for measuring the success of your app monetization strategy in terms.
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ARPPU

ARPPU stands for ‘Average Revenue per Paying User’, and it refers to the estimated revenue a single paying user generates during a specified period.
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ARPU

ARPU is the average revenue each active user generates.
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Audio Spatializer

An Audio Spatializer is a system that creates the illusion of 3D sound by simulating how audio would behave in a physical space, enhancing immersion in virtual environments, architectural visualizations, and automotive simulations.
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Augmented Virtuality (AV)

Augmented Virtuality (AV) refers to a form of mixed reality where real-world objects or people are integrated into virtual environments, allowing physical elements to interact with predominantly virtual worlds in manufacturing, training, and educational applications.
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B

Banner Ads

Mobile Banner Ads are a rectangular system-initiated ad unit, which can be either static or animated.
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Brand Advertising

Brand advertising is a strategy to build brand recognition in order to establish strong, long-term credibility with consumers.
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Brand Lift

Brand lift measures how your ads are affecting both consumer impressions and consumer behavior
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Brand Safety

Maintaining brand safety is no easy task. According to one report, 75% of companies experience at least one brand safety incident a year.
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C

Churn Rate

Churn Rate is the percentage of users who uninstall or stop engaging with an app over time.
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CAD

Computer-Aided Design (CAD) refers to specialized software tools used to create precise digital models with exact specifications, enabling developers to import and adapt detailed representations of real-world objects for interactive applications.
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Casual Games

Casual games are a mobile game genre that is designed for everyone and anyone and have simple rules, shorter sessions, and a low barrier to entry.
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CGI Animation

Computer Generated Imagery (CGI) animation creates movement through digital character rigging, keyframe animation, and motion systems that combine predetermined sequences with dynamic responses to create convincing character behavior and environmental effects.
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CI/CD

CI/CD, or continuous integration/continuous delivery or deployment, is a software development practice enabled by automation. Frequent, reliable updates accelerate release cycles via continuous code delivery.
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Cinematic VR

Cinematic VR means an immersive video experience where viewers can look around in 360 degrees but cannot interact with or move through the environment, often used for storytelling, architectural walkthroughs, or educational content.
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Click-through attribution

Click-through attribution is a method of tracking user interactions that credits conversions to the specific advertisement a user clicked on, helping marketers understand which ads drive valuable actions.
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Cloud Storage

Cloud storage provides remote data management solutions that enable development teams to collaborate effectively by providing centralized access to project assets and resources across multiple devices and locations.
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Computer Vision

Cinematic VR means an immersive video experience where viewers can look around in 360 degrees but cannot interact with or move through the environment, often used for storytelling, architectural walkthroughs, or educational content.
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Configurator

Configurator is an interactive tool that allows users to customize products by selecting different options, features, and specifications, commonly used in automotive, retail, and manufacturing applications to visualize personalized designs.
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Connected data

Connected data means information from various sources linked together in meaningful relationships, enabling more comprehensive analysis and insights across healthcare, manufacturing, retail, and other industries.
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Content Delivery Network

Content Delivery Network (CDN) is a distributed server system that delivers digital assets to users from geographically optimized locations, reducing latency and improving load times for applications requiring large-scale content distribution.
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CVR

Conversion Rate (CVR) is the percentage of users who saw an app-install ad and downloaded the advertised app.
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Corrupted Text

Corrupted text refers to data that has become unreadable or incorrectly formatted, requiring robust error handling systems including validation, proper encoding methods, and failsafe mechanisms to prevent crashes and maintain application stability.
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CPA

CPA or cost per action marketing is a pricing model used in mobile UA campaigns in which advertisers choose a post-install action to measure, and only pay for users who engage in that action.
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CPC

Cost Per Click (CPC) Advertising is a pricing model in UA campaigns which app advertisers pay each time user clicks their in-app ad.
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CPCV

CPCV: Cost Per Completed View is a pricing model in which advertisers pay each time a video has been viewed through to completion.
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CPE

Cost Per Engagement (CPE) is a pricing model used in user acquisition campaigns where app advertisers only pay for post-install events.
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CPI

(CPI) Cost Per Install is a pricing model, in which app advertisers pay each time a user installs their app from their ad.
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Cost Per Order

Cost per order (CPO) is the pricing model that drives a mobile app’s user acquisition and sales.
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CPV

Cost Per View (CPV) is a campaign pricing model, in which advertisers pay each time their mobile video ad is viewed.
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CPM

CPM is a pricing model referring to the cost of 1,000 impressions.
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CPQ

Configure, Price, Quote (CPQ) is a system that streamlines the sales process by allowing customers to configure complex products, generate accurate pricing, and receive automated quotes based on their specific requirements.
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CPU

Computer Processing Unit (CPU) is the central brain of computing devices that executes program instructions, with its performance being crucial for real-time rendering and overall application responsiveness in graphics-intensive projects.
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Creative

A Creative is an individual advertisement asset that must go through moderation stages (pending, approved, or rejected) before being implemented in marketing campaigns.
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Cross Promotion

Cross promotion is an app marketing strategy in which app developers promote one of their titles on another one of their titles.
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CTR

Click Through Rate (CTR) is the percentage of users who saw an ad and clicked on it.
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Customer Cohort Analysis

Customer Cohort Analysis is a tool that lets app developers track and study user behavior over time.
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Customer Engagement

Customer engagement refers to the meaningful interactions users have with a product that create emotional investment and long-term loyalty through compelling experiences, social connections, and progression systems that respect user time while delivering consistent value.
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Customer Retention

Customer retention focuses on keeping users engaged long-term through compelling experiences, regular content updates, and community building strategies that maintain interest and encourage continued interaction with digital products.
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Cyber Sickness

Virtual Reality Sickness (Cyber Sickness) refers to a form of discomfort experienced when stationary users perceive motion in immersive environments, caused by factors like lag, refresh rates, and visual discrepancies that require careful content design to mitigate.
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Coordinated Universal Time (UTC)

Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) is the global time standard used to synchronize operations across time zones.
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D

DAU

Daily Active Users (DAU) is the total amount of users who visit an app on a daily basis.
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Data Transformation

Data transformation means the conversion of information between different formats and structures to optimize for specific uses, from asset pipeline processing to analytics systems, enabling efficient operation across diverse platforms and use cases.
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Data Visualization

Data visualization is the graphical representation of complex information that transforms abstract data into visual models, enabling users to quickly identify patterns and make more informed decisions across various industries.
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Deep Linking

Deep linking is a hyperlink, or deep link URL, that directs a user to a specific piece of in-app content.
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Demand Side Platform

DSP media buying is a cornerstone of the programmatic ad ecosystem. Here’s what advertisers need to know.
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Digital Energy

Digital Energy focuses on optimizing power consumption across hardware and software layers through intelligent resource management systems that balance performance needs against energy efficiency, extending battery life while maintaining responsive user experiences.
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Digital Engineering

Digital Engineering encompasses the comprehensive technical infrastructure that supports product development, including asset creation pipelines, build systems, testing frameworks, and deployment tools that enable efficient creation and iteration.
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Digital Manufacturing

Digital Manufacturing
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Digital Transformation

Digital Transformation means the strategic adoption of digital technologies across business operations, including real-time 3D visualization and interactive experiences that fundamentally alter how organizations deliver value and engage with customers.
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Digital Twin

A Digital Twin is a data-enriched virtual replica of a physical object or system that simulates real-world behavior.
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Direct3D Transformation Pipeline

Direct3D Transformation Pipeline refers to the Windows-specific graphics process that converts 3D objects into 2D screen imagery using three matrices (world, view, and projection transforms) to handle object positioning and camera perspectives.
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E

eCPI

Effective Cost Per Install (eCPI) is a comprehensive marketing metric that calculates acquisition costs while accounting for organic factors like viral growth, providing a more complete picture of user acquisition economics.
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Embedded Development

Embedded Development creates software for specialized hardware devices with constrained resources, requiring deep hardware knowledge, efficient memory management, and optimization techniques to deliver reliable performance within strict operational parameters.
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Embedded Software Development

Embedded software development is the specialized practice of creating programs that run directly on hardware devices with limited resources, requiring strict optimization techniques to ensure reliable real-time performance within tight memory and processing constraints.
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Embedded Systems

Embedded systems are specialized computing devices designed to perform dedicated functions within larger systems, requiring efficient code optimization and hardware-specific programming to ensure reliable performance within resource constraints.
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End card

An End Card is a static visual advertisement displayed at the conclusion of video ads, featuring essential app information and a call-to-action to drive user engagement and installation.
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Engagement Rate

Engagement Rate is the percentage of users who actively engage with ads in an app.
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Eye Tracking

Eye Tracking technology monitors user gaze direction within head-mounted displays, enabling intuitive control mechanisms, improved rendering efficiency through foveated rendering, and more natural interaction with virtual environments.
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Extended Reality (XR)

Extended Reality (XR) serves as an umbrella term encompassing all immersive technologies including virtual, augmented, and mixed reality that enhance or replace our view of the world through digital experiences.
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F

Face Tracking

Face Tracking refers to computer vision technology that captures and analyzes facial movements in real-time, enabling more realistic character animations and interactive experiences in games and simulations.
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Field-of-Regard

Field-of-Regard encompasses the total viewable area accessible to a user from a fixed position when accounting for eye, head, and neck movements, forming the foundation for immersive experience design.
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Field-of-View

Field-of-View (FOV) refers to the observable area visible to a user when looking straight ahead, typically measured in degrees, with higher values in head-mounted displays creating more immersive experiences by filling more of the user's vision.
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Fill Rate

Fill rate is an app metric calculated by dividing the number of ad impressions an app shows by the number of times an app has requested an ad from an ad network.
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Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR)

Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) describes the integration of digital technologies, IoT systems, AI, and human-machine interfaces that is transforming industrial processes and creating new possibilities across manufacturing and engineering.
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Foveated Rendering

Foveated Rendering is an optimization technique that mimics human vision by rendering high detail in the center of view while reducing quality in peripheral areas, improving performance and enabling richer visual experiences on limited hardware.
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FPS

Frames-Per-Second (FPS) indicates how many images are displayed each second, with higher rates (ideally 60-120 for VR applications) delivering smoother motion and reducing the risk of simulation sickness in immersive experiences.
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Frequency Capping

Frequency Capping is limiting the number of times a user sees an ad in a day or session.
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Frustum Culling

Frustum Culling means a performance optimization technique that prevents rendering objects outside the camera's viewable area (frustum), significantly improving application performance by reducing unnecessary processing of invisible elements.
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G

Game Bundles

Mobile Game Bundles give users the option to buy several game apps in a single purchase.
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Gametech

Game technology, or gametech, refers to dedicated solutions and services that are used throughout a game’s lifecycle and are built especially for the purpose of game development.
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Graphics Transformation Pipeline

Graphics Transformation Pipeline refers to the sequential process that converts 3D objects into their final rendered positions within a scene, managing spatial transformations through world, view, and projection matrices for accurate visual representation.
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Growth Loop

The Growth Loop is a holistic approach to game growth which merges the monetization and user acquisition sides of the business to create a virtuous cycle of growth.
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H

Head Tracking

Head Tracking monitors the position and movement of a user's head in real-time, enabling natural viewing perspectives in virtual environments and serving as an intuitive input method for navigation and interaction.
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Headset

Head-Mounted Display (Headset) is a wearable device containing screens and optics that deliver immersive visual experiences by placing display technology directly in front of the eyes, available in various forms from smartphone holders to high-end standalone units.
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Head-Up Display (HUD)

A head-up display (HUD) shows critical information directly in your field of view, without requiring you to look away.
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I

IIoT

Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) refers to interconnected smart industrial devices that collect and analyze data to optimize operations, enable predictive maintenance, and drive more informed decision-making across manufacturing environments.
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Immersion

Immersion is the psychological state of being completely absorbed in a digital environment through multisensory engagement, forming the foundation of compelling virtual experiences by minimizing awareness of the physical world.
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Immersive Experiences

Immersive Experiences means digital content that engages multiple senses to create a strong feeling of presence, ranging from interactive simulations to 360° video, designed to transport users beyond traditional screen-based media.
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Immersive Retail

Immersive Retail transforms shopping experiences through interactive 3D product visualization and virtual environments that allow customers to explore merchandise from any angle, test configurations, and experience virtual try-ons before purchasing.
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Immersive training

Immersive training leverages virtual and augmented reality to create hands-on learning environments that enhance skill acquisition through realistic simulations, improving knowledge retention while reducing costs and risks associated with traditional training methods.
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Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU)

An IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) is a sensor that measures a device's motion and orientation using accelerometers and gyroscopes.
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In-App Advertising

In-App Advertising is an app monetization strategy, in which app developers get paid to show ads to their users.
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In-App Bidding

In-App Bidding (IAP) is an automated monetization solution in which ad sources bid for impressions in real-time.
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In-App Marketing

The term “In-app marketing” refers to any kind of marketing campaign that is developed for, and deployed within, a mobile application.
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In-Game Purchase

An in-game purchase lets users purchase subscriptions or virtual goods within apps, like currency or upgrades. Learn more about in-game purchases.
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Input

An Input refers to the various methods and devices users employ to control and interact with digital environments, from traditional controllers to specialized hardware that tracks natural movements for more intuitive engagement with virtual content.
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Inside-Out/Outside-In Tracking

Inside-Out/Outside-In Tracking refers to two competing approaches for positional tracking: inside-out uses cameras on the headset to track movement relative to the environment, while outside-in relies on external sensors to monitor device position, each offering different trade-offs in setup complexity and tracking precision.
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IPM

IPM is the number of app installs per thousand ad impressions.
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Interactive Ads

Interactive Ads are ad units designed for user interaction, requiring users to take an active role in the ad experience.
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Interstitial Ads

An Interstitial Ad is a full-screen ad unit which engages users at natural pauses in an app’s flow.
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iOS IDFA

IDFA is an acronym for The Identity for Advertisers, this is the unique identifier given by Apple to each device. Crucial for mobile attribution, i.e. tracking the user journey, its purpose is to measure user interactions with ad campaigns and track events like installs and in-app activity.
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IPD

Interpupillary Distance (IPD) measures the space between a user's pupils, a critical factor in headset design that ensures proper scale perception and comfortable stereoscopic viewing when correctly matched through adjustable lenses.
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IR

Install Rate (IR) measures the percentage of ad clicks that convert to app installations, providing marketers with insights into advertisement effectiveness and user acquisition efficiency.
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Impression Level Revenue

Impression level revenue represents the value of the revenue generated by devices from ads viewed in-app
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K

K-Factor

K-Factor is a metric which describes the virality growth rate of apps.
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KPI

Key Performance Indicator (KPI) refers to quantifiable metrics that track progress toward specific business objectives, helping organizations evaluate success and identify areas needing improvement across development, marketing, and operational activities.
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L

Latency

Latency is the delay between user action and system response in digital environments, with lower values (ideally under 20ms for immersive applications) being crucial for comfortable experiences that prevent disorientation and simulation sickness.
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Light Field Technology

Light Field Technology captures the direction and intensity of light rays from multiple angles, enabling post-capture adjustments to focus, perspective, and depth in immersive content while allowing users greater freedom of movement compared to traditional capture methods.
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Light Field Video

Light Field Video extends light field photography to moving images, allowing for post-production manipulation of focus, perspective, and depth, creating more realistic and interactive immersive video experiences with enhanced spatial understanding.
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Low-Persistence Display

Low-Persistence Display technology reduces motion blur by illuminating pixels only for brief periods rather than continuously, resulting in clearer visuals during head movement and significantly reducing user discomfort in immersive applications.
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LTV

Lifetime value is the revenue a user generates throughout their lifetime within an app.
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M

Mobile app monetization

Mobile app monetization is a process for developers to generate revenue, or make money, from their app or game.
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Mobile Attribution Manipulation

Mobile Attribution Manipulation is a fraudulent practice of unnecessarily serving mobile ads to users close to conversion.
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Mobile Attribution Window

The mobile attribution window is the time period advertisers pre-set in which publishers can claim credit for a conversion and ultimately be attributed for the install.
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Machine Learning

Human-Machine Interface (HMI) provides intuitive visual and interactive systems that enable operators to efficiently monitor and control complex equipment or processes across manufacturing, automotive, and other industrial applications.
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Mediation

Mediation (ad mediation) is a monetization solution that enables developers to efficiently manage multiple advertising networks through a single integration, optimizing fill rates and revenue while simplifying implementation.
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Mixed Reality Capture

Mixed Reality Capture (Mixed Cast) refers to a technique that combines real-world video of VR users with simultaneous footage from within the virtual environment, creating compelling demonstrations that effectively communicate the VR experience to spectators.
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ML-Agents

Unity Machine Learning Agents (ML-Agents) is an open-source toolkit that enables developers to create environments where AI agents can learn complex behaviors through reinforcement learning techniques, ideal for creating realistic NPC behaviors and simulations.
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MMP

Mobile Measurement Partner (MMP) provides third-party attribution and analytics services that help developers track marketing campaign performance across multiple channels while offering unbiased verification of user acquisition metrics.
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Mobile Ad Fraud

Mobile Ad Fraud is artificially inflating the number of ads served and subsequently making money from mobile ad spend.
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Mobile Ad Viewability

Mobile ad viewability is the percentage of impressions in which 50% of the ad was in view for a minimum of 1 second for display ads, and 2 seconds for video ads, as defined by the IAB and the Media Rating Council.
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Mobile App Ads

App developers looking to earn revenue from ads typically partner with a mediation platform that aggregates various ad networks and integrate its SDK into their tech stack.
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Mobile App Engagement

The key to a good mobile app engagement campaign is being able to balance quality and scale.
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Mobile App Growth

The mobile app market is constantly growing and becoming a more competitive industry, making app growth strategy a complicated and integral part of your app’s success.
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Mobile App Retention

Mobile app retention refers to an app’s ability to keep users coming back, and is important because it shows app developers exactly what day in the app lifecycle users begin dropping off and offers insight as to why some don’t return.
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Mobile Bid Adjustments & Multi-Bidding

Bid adjustments allow advertisers to increase or decrease their bids for ad groups or campaigns in order to change how frequently their ads are viewed, according to where, when, and how people search
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Mobile CPA

Mobile CPA is a pricing model used in mobile marketing and user acquisition campaigns that stands for Cost Per Action.
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Mobile CPA

Mobile CPA is a pricing model used in mobile marketing and user acquisition campaigns.
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Mobile CPI

While mobile CPI is not too complex, it’s important to take into consideration various factors when buying on a CPI basis.
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Mobile Delivery Platform

Mobile delivery platforms are the middlemen that help mobile operators and device manufacturers connect advertisers with users of mobile devices.
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Mobile Game Business Models

A mobile game business model is a monetization strategy developers use to drive revenue for their app
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Mobile Game Marketing

The most effective way to market your game is with a comprehensive mobile game marketing strategy. You must first know your target audience.
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Mobile Onboarding

With Aura, mobile marketers have the option to advertise their app during the mobile device onboarding experience.
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Mobile User Acquisition

Mobile User Acquisition involves running paid advertising campaigns to acquire new users, with the goal being to maximize profit by acquiring users who eventually monetize for more than they were purchased for.
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MAU

App Monthly Active Users (MAU) is an app usage metric which reveals the total amount of users who visit an app within a 30 day period.
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Motion-to-Photon Latency

Motion-to-Photon Latency measures the total delay between a user's physical movement and when that movement is visually reflected in a display, with lower values (ideally under 20ms) being critical for preventing discomfort in immersive applications.
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Motion Tracking

Motion Tracking technology captures and digitizes physical movements in real-time, allowing users to navigate and interact with virtual environments naturally by mapping their real-world actions to corresponding virtual movements.
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MR

Mixed Reality (MR) means a hybrid experience where digital and physical elements coexist and interact in real-time, placing it on a spectrum between pure virtual reality and augmented reality to create environments where virtual objects are anchored to and interact with physical spaces.
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Multi-Pass Stereo Rendering

Multi-Pass Stereo Rendering refers to a traditional rendering approach that processes each eye's view separately, creating greater computational demands than more optimized methods and potentially limiting visual complexity in immersive applications.
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O

OEM Advertising

In the mobile industry, original equipment manufacturer (OEM) refers to companies or people who manufacture their own phones in their own factories.
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Online Advertising

Online advertising encompasses digital marketing strategies across multiple channels that build product awareness and drive user acquisition through targeted campaigns optimized for specific platforms and audience segments.
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OpenGL Transformation Pipeline

OpenGL Transformation Pipeline is a graphics process specific to the OpenGL API that converts 3D object data into 2D screen coordinates through a series of matrix operations, providing cross-platform rendering capabilities for developers.
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OpenVR SDK/API

OpenVR SDK/API is Valve's development toolkit designed specifically for creating content compatible with SteamVR and Vive hardware, providing access to VR device features while abstracting hardware differences for developers.
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OpenXR

OpenXR refers to an open, royalty-free standard that provides a unified interface for developers to access various VR and AR platforms, reducing fragmentation and enabling applications to run across multiple hardware ecosystems without significant reworking.
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Organic Installs

Organic Installs are when a user installs an app all on their own, either from active browsing, app store search, etc.
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P

Panoramic 2D/3D Video

Panoramic 2D/3D Video encompasses various immersive video formats that surround the viewer in a spherical or cylindrical visual environment, with 3D variants providing stereoscopic depth for enhanced realism in virtual experiences.
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Performance Advertising

Performance advertising (or pay for performance advertising) is a marketing strategy to produce specific financial results within a specific time period
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Performance Marketing

As advertising methods evolve, more and more marketers are turning to performance marketing to ensure their campaigns get measurable results.
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Playable Mobile Ads

Playable mobile ads are mini-game ad units. Check out ironSource’s app monetization glossary which gives examples, definitions & more. Click here.
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Positional Tracking

Positional Tracking monitors the precise location and movement of VR headsets, controllers, and other objects in three-dimensional space, enabling users to physically navigate virtual environments and interact with digital content using natural movements.
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Post FX for VR

Post Processing Stack (Post FX for VR) involves applying visual enhancements like color grading, bloom, and depth of field after scene rendering, creating more visually compelling immersive experiences while maintaining performance through optimized rendering pipelines.
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Post-Install Event

A Post-Install Event is any user action or event that happens during usage of an app, after the app has been installed.
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Predictive Maintenance

Predictive Maintenance uses data analytics to identify potential system issues before they cause failures by monitoring performance metrics, resource utilization, and user behavior patterns to enable proactive optimization and prevent disruptions.
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Preloaded Apps

Preloaded apps are mobile apps which are installed and licensed on new devices before they’re purchased.
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Presence

Sense of Presence refers to the psychological state of feeling genuinely situated within a virtual environment rather than merely observing it, considered the highest achievement in immersive design when users instinctively respond to virtual stimuli as if they were real.
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Product Configurator

Product Configurator is an interactive tool that enables users to customize products by selecting different options, components, or features in real-time, often used in manufacturing, retail, and design applications to visualize configurations before production.
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Programmatic Advertising

Programmatic advertising uses automatic technology to enable mobile advertisers to buy ad inventory.
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Progressive loading

Progressive loading is a mechanism exclusive to Unity that helps ensure a rewarded video is always available to play with zero latency, even just after another rewarded video closes.
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Publisher

A Publisher refers to an app or website owner who monetizes their digital property by selling advertising space to marketers, providing the inventory necessary for ad campaigns to reach targeted audiences.
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R

Retention Rate

The App Retention Rate is the percentage of users who continue engaging with an app over time.
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Ray Tracing

Ray Tracing is an advanced rendering technique that simulates the physical behavior of light by tracking individual light rays as they interact with surfaces, creating realistic reflections, shadows, and ambient lighting for significantly more authentic virtual environments.
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Real-time 3D

Real-time 3D technology renders complex three-dimensional environments instantly as changes occur, allowing immediate visualization of design modifications and enabling interactive experiences across industries from gaming to architectural visualization and digital twins.
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Render Loop

Render Pipeline (Render Loop) defines the sequence of operations a graphics engine performs to transform 3D scene data into a final frame, with specialized VR pipelines optimized to efficiently render separate views for each eye while maintaining performance.
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Render Target

A Render Target is a memory buffer where graphics are drawn before display, with Render Target Arrays enabling simultaneous output to multiple destinations - particularly useful in VR for efficiently rendering different views for each eye.
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Render Texture

Render Texture is a special texture type that's generated and updated during runtime, allowing cameras to render their view into a texture that can be used as a material on other objects for effects like security monitors or portals.
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Revenue Per User

Average revenue per user (ARPU) is an app metric that calculates revenue from an app’s users. ARPU is calculated by dividing total revenue by the app’s active users.
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Rigging in Animation

Rigging in animation (also known as character rigging, or skeletal animation), is the first step in animating a digital character. Binding a model to a skeletal hierarchy of bones and controls enables you to pose and animate characters.
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ROAS

Return on ad spend (ROAS) is a metric used to calculate the efficiency and performance of digital ad spend.
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Robot Simulation

Robot Simulation allows engineers to model and test robotic systems in virtual environments with accurate physics and sensor simulation, enabling safe validation of control systems and behavior patterns before physical deployment.
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Robotics simulation

Robotics Simulation provides virtual environments for designing, testing, and training robotic systems before physical deployment, significantly reducing development costs and risks while accelerating iteration cycles through realistic physics simulation.
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S

Scene Graph

Scene Graph is a hierarchical data structure that organizes all objects in a 3D environment, defining spatial relationships and enabling efficient rendering through operations like culling to minimize computational demands on real-time applications.
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Screen Resolution

Screen Resolution in immersive displays refers to the pixel density available per eye, with higher resolutions (minimum 1080×1200 per eye) being critical for reducing the "screen door effect" and creating convincing virtual environments when viewed at close proximity.
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SDK

An SDK is a piece of code, which when implemented in a mobile application, enables third-party services.
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SDK Integration

SDK integration is the process of importing a library file, known as a software development kit, into your project in order to use that file’s functions.
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Server Hosting

Server hosting provides the infrastructure that supports online applications by managing authentication, data synchronization, and persistent state management through optimized architecture that balances performance, reliability, and scalability.
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Single-Pass Stereo Rendering

Single-Pass Stereo Rendering is a performance optimization technique that renders both eye views simultaneously into a packed texture, significantly reducing CPU workload by sharing culling and shadow data between views for more efficient VR experiences.
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SKAdNetwork

StoreKit Ad Network (SKAdNetwork) is Apple's privacy-focused attribution API that allows advertisers to measure campaign effectiveness through aggregated install data without tracking individual user activity across applications.
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SLAM

Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) refers to the computational process where a device creates a map of its surroundings while simultaneously tracking its position within that environment, essential for spatial understanding in AR applications.
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Social Ad Networks (SANs)

Social Ad Networks enable advertisers to reach large audiences across an array of channels, including devices and apps, to achieve scale.
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Soft Launch

A Soft Launch is a way for app developers to launch their game in markets that resemble their target market to ensure smooth sailing once they launch worldwide.
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Source Code Management

Source code management (SCM) is the process of tracking modifications and managing changes to source code.
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Spatial Audio

Spatial Audio (3D Audio) creates directional sound that appears to originate from specific locations in virtual environments, enhancing immersion by mimicking how we naturally perceive sound in the physical world as users move and rotate their heads.
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Stereo Instancing

Stereo Instancing is an advanced rendering optimization that builds upon single-pass techniques to further improve VR performance through hardware acceleration, allowing developers to create more complex and detailed virtual environments while maintaining smooth framerates.
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Stereoscopy

Stereoscopy recreates natural depth perception by presenting slightly different images to each eye, allowing the brain to interpret spatial relationships in virtual environments similar to how we perceive the physical world through binocular vision.
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SSP

Supply Side Platforms connect multiple demand sources who are looking for online advertising inventory, such as ad networks, marketplaces, ad exchanges and DSPs (demand side platforms).
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Suppression List

A Suppression List is an audience list that advertisers share with an ad network in order to enhance ROI during UA campaigns.
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T

Target Audience

A Target Audience identifies the specific demographic a product is designed for, considering factors like age, interests, technical proficiency, and platform preferences to guide design decisions that will resonate with intended users.
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Tracked Pose Driver

Tracked Pose Driver is a component that streamlines the implementation of motion tracking by automatically mapping physical device movements to their virtual counterparts, simplifying development of responsive and intuitive user interactions.
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Tracking

Tracking encompasses the technologies and methods used to monitor device positions and orientations in real-time, enabling virtual environments to respond accurately to user movements for convincing immersion and reduced simulation sickness.
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Transportation Design

Transportation Design in virtual environments combines aesthetic vehicle modeling with realistic physics simulation and intuitive control systems to create authentic yet engaging transportation experiences that balance realism with enjoyable interaction mechanics.
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U

Uncanny Valley

The uncanny valley describes the psychological discomfort people feel when a digital character or robot looks almost, but not quite, human.
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Unified Auction

Unified Auction is an ad monetization approach that allows multiple advertising buyers to compete simultaneously for inventory in real-time, maximizing revenue potential by ensuring the highest possible bid wins each impression.
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Urban Mobility

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Urban Planning

Urban planning applies design principles to virtual environments by creating believable cityscapes with realistic layouts, traffic patterns, and architectural diversity that enhance authenticity and player immersion in digital worlds.
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User Acquisition

User Acquisition is an app marketing campaign seeking to acquire high-value users that drive revenue.
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User Engagement

User Engagement measures the degree of user interaction within an app.
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User Interface

User Interface comprises all elements users interact with in a digital application, including visual displays, controls, and feedback systems designed to create intuitive, efficient, and satisfying interactions between humans and software.
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User Interface Design

User Interface Design
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User Segmentation

User Segmentation is the process of dividing an app’s user base into groups based on their behaviors and demographics.
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V

Version Control

Version control, also known as source code management, uses tools to track changes or edits made to source code over time.
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Vestibular System

Vestibular System refers to the inner ear's balance mechanism that detects movement and orientation, with mismatches between this system and visual inputs being the primary cause of simulation sickness that developers must carefully address in immersive applications.
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Viewability Rate

Viewability rate is the percentage of time an ad was viewable.
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vCPM

vCPM, or viewable CPM , is a pricing model measuring how many users view a specific ad, as opposed to a whole website page.
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Virtual Collaboration

Virtual Collaboration enables geographically dispersed teams to work together in real-time through shared digital environments, featuring synchronized object manipulation, spatial communication systems, and version control to maintain workflow consistency.
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Virtual Reality/Augmented Reality Programming

Virtual Reality/Augmented Reality Programming leverages familiar programming languages like C# and C++ within specialized development frameworks that handle the unique requirements of spatial computing, including stereoscopic rendering, motion tracking, and interactive 3D environments.
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Virtual Surgery

Virtual Surgery creates realistic medical procedure simulations with accurate anatomical models and physics-based tissue behavior, allowing practitioners to train and plan complex operations in risk-free environments with haptic feedback and performance tracking.
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Virtual Training

Virtual Training creates safe, repeatable learning environments that simulate real-world scenarios, allowing users to develop skills through practice without real-world consequences while receiving immediate feedback and performance tracking.
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Virtual Try-on

Virtual Try-on technology enables users to visualize how products would look on their bodies or in their spaces through augmented reality and 3D visualization with realistic material rendering and physics simulation for accurate representation.
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Volumetric Video

Volumetric Video captures three-dimensional representations of real-world spaces and subjects, allowing viewers to move freely within captured scenes rather than being limited to fixed viewpoints typical of traditional 360° video.
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VR

Virtual Reality (VR) refers to computer-generated environments that completely replace the user's surroundings with interactive, immersive content experienced through head-mounted displays, creating the sensation of being physically present in simulated worlds.
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VR Installation

VR Installation describes location-based virtual reality experiences enhanced with physical elements like specialized hardware, environmental effects, or custom infrastructure to create premium immersive experiences for marketing, entertainment, or education.
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W

Waterfall

Waterfall (waterfall mediation) is a sequential ad serving method that prioritizes ad networks based on historical performance, calling each network in turn until an impression is filled to maximize publisher revenue while ensuring ad space is utilized.
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WebAR

WebAR enables augmented reality experiences directly through web browsers without requiring dedicated application downloads, making AR content more accessible while reducing friction for users across multiple platforms and devices.
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WebVR

WebVR is an open standard that allows users to access virtual reality experiences directly through web browsers, eliminating installation barriers and making immersive content more accessible across different devices and platforms.
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WebGL

WebGL is a JavaScript API that enables hardware-accelerated rendering of interactive 2D and 3D graphics directly in web browsers without plugins, allowing developers to create cross-platform experiences accessible through standard web technologies.
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