Tech Explained Editorial Team

Tech Explained Editorial Team is the collective byline for our editorial team and contributor network. Articles published under this byline or an editorial pen name are researched, written, and reviewed according to our editorial standards for clarity, consistency, and independence before publication.

Bluetooth vs. Wi-Fi: Two Wireless Technologies With Very Different Jobs

Bluetooth vs. Wi-Fi: Two Wireless Technologies With Very Different Jobs

How Smart Speakers Hear You — Even From Across the Room

How Smart Speakers Hear You — Even From Across the Room

How Your Phone Knows Where You Are: GPS, Cell Towers, and Wi-Fi Location

How Your Phone Knows Where You Are: GPS, Cell Towers, and Wi-Fi Location

Inside Your Smartphone: What Actually Happens When You Tap the Screen

Inside Your Smartphone: What Actually Happens When You Tap the Screen

Lithium-Ion Batteries: Why They Degrade and What Slows It Down

Lithium-Ion Batteries: Why They Degrade and What Slows It Down

Operating Systems, Demystified: What iOS, Android, and Windows Are Actually Doing

Operating Systems, Demystified: What iOS, Android, and Windows Are Actually Doing

Pixels, Refresh Rates, and Resolution: A Screen Glossary for Non-Engineers

Pixels, Refresh Rates, and Resolution: A Screen Glossary for Non-Engineers

RAM vs. Storage: The Difference Your Phone and Laptop Are Counting On

RAM vs. Storage: The Difference Your Phone and Laptop Are Counting On

Smart Home Devices and Your Home Network: How They All Connect

Smart Home Devices and Your Home Network: How They All Connect

The Life of a Google Search: What Occurs Between Typing and Results

The Life of a Google Search: What Occurs Between Typing and Results

Things People Get Wrong About Charging Their Devices

Things People Get Wrong About Charging Their Devices

What a CPU Actually Does All Day

What a CPU Actually Does All Day

Why Your Device Slows Down Over Time — and What's Actually Causing It

Why Your Device Slows Down Over Time — and What's Actually Causing It

Wi-Fi, Explained Without the Jargon

Wi-Fi, Explained Without the Jargon

Wired vs. Wireless: What the Connection Type Actually Changes

Wired vs. Wireless: What the Connection Type Actually Changes

Cookies, Trackers, and Pixels: How Websites Follow You Around the Web

Cookies, Trackers, and Pixels: How Websites Follow You Around the Web

Digital Footprints: The Data Trail You Leave Without Knowing It

Digital Footprints: The Data Trail You Leave Without Knowing It

How Data Brokers Collect and Sell Your Personal Information

How Data Brokers Collect and Sell Your Personal Information

Incognito Mode vs. a VPN: What Each One Actually Hides

Incognito Mode vs. a VPN: What Each One Actually Hides

Key Terms in Online Privacy Everyone Should Know

Key Terms in Online Privacy Everyone Should Know

Online Privacy From Scratch: A Plain-English Starting Point

Online Privacy From Scratch: A Plain-English Starting Point

Personal Data Security Audit: A Step-by-Step Self-Check

Personal Data Security Audit: A Step-by-Step Self-Check

Phishing Attacks: How They're Constructed and How to Spot Them

Phishing Attacks: How They're Constructed and How to Spot Them

Privacy Settings That Are Easy to Overlook on Everyday Apps

Privacy Settings That Are Easy to Overlook on Everyday Apps

Public Wi-Fi Risks: Separating Real Threats From Overstated Fears

Public Wi-Fi Risks: Separating Real Threats From Overstated Fears

The Difference Between HTTP and HTTPS — and Why It Still Matters

The Difference Between HTTP and HTTPS — and Why It Still Matters

Two-Factor Authentication: The Tradeoffs Nobody Talks About

Two-Factor Authentication: The Tradeoffs Nobody Talks About

VPNs Explained: What They Do, What They Don't, and When They're Worth Using

VPNs Explained: What They Do, What They Don't, and When They're Worth Using

What Internet Service Providers Can Actually See About You

What Internet Service Providers Can Actually See About You

Why Strong Passwords Still Get Compromised — and What Actually Helps

Why Strong Passwords Still Get Compromised — and What Actually Helps

Cloud Storage, Local Storage, and Everything in Between

Cloud Storage, Local Storage, and Everything in Between

Common Beliefs About Antivirus Software That Aren't Quite Right

Common Beliefs About Antivirus Software That Aren't Quite Right

Free vs. Paid App Subscriptions: What You're Really Getting

Free vs. Paid App Subscriptions: What You're Really Getting

Getting Started with Productivity Apps When You've Never Used Them

Getting Started with Productivity Apps When You've Never Used Them

How to Clean Up an Overcrowded Phone Without Losing Anything Important

How to Clean Up an Overcrowded Phone Without Losing Anything Important

Keeping Your Accounts Safe Across Every App You Use

Keeping Your Accounts Safe Across Every App You Use

Password Managers: How They Work and Whether They're Worth Using

Password Managers: How They Work and Whether They're Worth Using

Signs an App May Be Doing More Than It Claims

Signs an App May Be Doing More Than It Claims

Software You Probably Already Have — and Haven't Opened Yet

Software You Probably Already Have — and Haven't Opened Yet

Syncing, Backing Up, and the Gap Between Them

Syncing, Backing Up, and the Gap Between Them

The Difference Between a Mobile App and a Website

The Difference Between a Mobile App and a Website

Understanding Software Licenses in Plain English

Understanding Software Licenses in Plain English

What 'App Permissions' Actually Mean — and Why They Matter

What 'App Permissions' Actually Mean — and Why They Matter

Why Apps Keep Asking You to Update — and What Happens If You Don't

Why Apps Keep Asking You to Update — and What Happens If You Don't

Why Your Apps Feel Slower Over Time — and What's Actually Happening

Why Your Apps Feel Slower Over Time — and What's Actually Happening