Websockets are an advanced technology for bidirectional communication between a web browser (client) and a web server. Unlike traditional HTTP connections, which typically work in a unidirectional manner (from the client to the server), Websockets enable simultaneous communication in both directions.

Here are some key features of Websockets:

1. Bidirectional Communication: Websockets allow real-time communication between the client and server, with both parties able to send messages in both directions.

2. Low Latency: By establishing a persistent connection between the client and server, Websockets reduce latency compared to traditional HTTP requests, where a new connection has to be established for each request.

3. Efficiency: Websockets reduce overhead compared to HTTP, requiring fewer header details and relying on a single connection instead of establishing a new one for each request.

4. Support for Various Protocols: Websockets can use different protocols, including the WebSocket protocol itself, as well as Secure WebSocket (wss) for encrypted connections.

5. Event-Driven Communication: Websockets are well-suited for event-driven applications where real-time updates are required, such as in chat applications, real-time games, or live streaming.

Websockets are widely used in modern web applications to implement real-time functionalities. Using Websockets can make applications faster and more responsive, especially when dealing with dynamic or frequently changing data.

Google Cloud Pub/Sub is a managed messaging service provided by Google, based on the Publish/Subscribe model. It enables scalable and reliable message delivery between applications and systems in real-time.

Cloud Pub/Sub serves as a central intermediary for message delivery between different components within cloud infrastructure or across various applications. It facilitates Publish/Subscribe communication, where Publishers send messages to specific topics, and Subscribers subscribe to these topics to receive messages.

Some key features of Google Cloud Pub/Sub include:

1. Scalability: It can handle messages in large volumes and is designed for high throughput rates.

2. Reliability: It ensures message delivery with low latency and offers persistence to prevent message loss.

3. Real-time processing: Facilitates real-time message transmission between applications or systems.

4. Integration: Seamlessly integrates with other Google Cloud services and can connect to external systems.

Cloud Pub/Sub is commonly used in cloud-based applications, data processing pipelines, real-time analytics, IoT (Internet of Things), and other scenarios requiring reliable and scalable message delivery.

The "Internet of Things" (IoT) refers to a network of physical devices, vehicles, household appliances, and other objects equipped with sensors, software, connectivity, and the ability to collect and exchange data. These objects can communicate with each other and gather or share information, often over the internet or other networks.

The goal of IoT is to connect the physical world with the digital world, enhancing automation, efficiency, accuracy, and convenience in various domains. By using sensors and connectivity, IoT devices can collect, analyze, and utilize data to provide real-time information or perform actions without human intervention.

Examples of IoT applications include smart home devices like thermostats or lighting systems, connected vehicles with telematics systems, health monitoring devices, industrial machinery with sensors for monitoring and optimizing processes, and much more. IoT offers a wide range of applications aimed at improving how we live, work, and interact with the world around us.

A Subscriber, in the context of a message broker or messaging system, is an entity or component that receives messages and acts upon them. While the Publisher generates messages and sends them to the message broker, the Subscriber is a part of the system that has subscribed to receive specific types of messages forwarded by the message broker.

Subscribers are recipients of messages who subscribe to particular channels, topics, or types of messages that are relevant to them. Once the message broker receives messages that match the subscription criteria of the Subscribers, it forwards those messages to the corresponding Subscribers, who can then process or respond to them.

For instance, in a messaging system, a Subscriber could be an application waiting for specific types of notifications. Once the message broker receives messages that meet those criteria, it forwards them to the respective application, which then processes or reacts to the received information.