IrDA (Infrared Data Association)

[Julene]

A standard for transmitting data using an infrared port. Transfer speeds are roughly the same as traditional parallel ports. The industry group that created the IrDA technical standard.
Infrared connectivity is an old wireless technology used to connect two electronic devices. It uses a beam of infrared light to transmit information and so requires direct line of sight and operates only at close range.
IR was superseded by Bluetooth, which has the advantage of operating at longer distances (around 30 feet) and being omni-directional.
Many home devices such as TVs and DVD players still use IR remote controls. Some smartphones are capable of using their IR port to control these devises but that usually requires third-party software.