Today's Internet is highly portable thanks to wireless technology, but did you know there are different kinds of wireless?  Here is an introduction to the major types of wireless technology used for data communication.

Bluetooth
Bluetooth is the name of a specific short-range wireless technology integrated into many devices such as printers, wireless mice and keyboards, and cell phones.  Devices that include Bluetooth technology usually bear a characteristic "B" symbol.  Because Bluetooth is designed only for short distances and smaller amounts of data, it's not used directly for connecting to the Internet; instead, gadgets use it talk to each other -- as when you use a Bluetooth earpiece with your mobile phone.

WiFi
Hearkening back to the term "hi-fi" (high fidelity), WiFi is a trademark for the standard type of technology that provides high-speed wireless Internet connectivity to computers.  You might find WiFi "hotspots" in places like hotels, restaurants, libraries, and even your own home if you have a wireless router.  The code "802.11b/g/n" is the technical name for this standard.  All of today's laptops are WiFi-capable, so you don't need anything extra to use WiFi where it's available.

3G/4G/EVDO
While WiFi provides convenient Internet access, that access is limited to the individual locations that provide it.  For Internet access regardless of your location, the various mobile carriers (e.g., Sprint, AT&T, Verizon) have developed technology that gives you high-speed data access over the same network you use for your calls.  That's what the terms 3G, 4G, and EVDO refer to.  Because you use the cell carrier's network, you usually have to pay for access (and buy a separate card to use it with a laptop); whereas WiFi is free in many places since it's so easy to provide.

Are your gadgets wireless-capable?  Take a look at the instructions or look for logos to see which of these terms apply to what you have.  Now that you know some of the language, you'll have a better idea of what your devices can do.