Wi-Fi--known among techies as 802.11, a reference to its underlying technology standard--is an alternative means of Internet access.

FORBES: Wi-Fi Goes To Washington

In accordance with Casio's own standard with reference to the US MIL-STD-810F Method 516.5-Shock, the camera passed a test in which it was dropped from a height of 2.13 meters (7 feet) onto lauan plywood at 26 different angles.

ENGADGET: Casio trots out world's slimmest shock-resistant digicam: EX-G1 (video)

Buyers and suppliers who have no binding relationship, by contrast, and who stick to standard legal tenders without reference to current difficult market conditions, could find themselves in a new realm of uncharted territory with little trust.

WSJ: United They'll Stand

But more than that, Hopkins's father was the author of A Handbook of Average and A Manual of Marine Insurance, both standard reference books for negotiating, averaging, and adjusting the liabilities to insurance underwriters of cargo losses and shipwrecks, so Hopkins grew up in a world wet with marine accidents and was especially attentive to them.

NPR: Excerpt: 'Exiles'

For example, a year ago American Airlines began allowing its pilots to use iPads in the cockpit during flight, replacing the standard 35-pound kit of reference manuals.

ENGADGET: Editorial: Devices on planes -- either enforce the rules or change them