Technology
Discover facts about technology. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
Technology
Beige computers were designed to disappear into the office
Neutral cases fitted the largest computer market of the 1980s: workplaces filled with cubicles. The colors helped different machines look visually consistent…
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Why some keyboards ditch the number pad
Tenkeyless keyboards drop the number pad, saving several inches of desk space and bringing the mouse closer to the center of your body.
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Your laptop battery might stop a small-caliber bullet
A few reported incidents describe laptop batteries deflecting small-arms fire, but that is no reason to treat one as reliable body armor.
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TempleOS was one programmer's operating system and religious project
Terry Davis built the system and described its design as guided by God, including its 640-by-480 display and sixteen-color palette. He also created its…
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A Git log can preserve the mood of a debugging session
Commit messages record why a developer changed the code, and sometimes capture frustration along with the technical explanation. Those remarks remain attached…
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The iPod idea Apple’s rivals turned down
After RealNetworks and Philips passed on Fadell’s idea, he took it to Steve Jobs, who paired it with iTunes.
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Why developers call suspicious code a Code Smell
A code smell is a warning sign such as duplicated logic or a function trying to do too many jobs. The program may still run correctly, but the design can make…
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Wikipedia's predecessor got stuck waiting for experts
Nupedia used an expert review process that made publishing painfully slow. Wikipedia began as a faster way to develop articles and soon overtook it. The…
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The factory where robots build more robots
FANUC runs a lights-out factory in Japan where robots build other robots in the dark, since they don’t need lights to work.
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Why so many Japanese phones are waterproof
For years, waterproofing was common in Japanese-market phones because many younger users wanted to keep texting in the bath.
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Why buildings suddenly appear in open-world games
Games stream map details from storage as you move, rather than loading everything at once to conserve memory. If you move faster than the drive can supply…
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Two twelve-point fonts can print noticeably different-sized letters
Point size describes the font’s design space, not a universal height for each visible letter. Garamond’s relatively small lowercase forms helped drive a…
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Why explosions in games don't deafen you
Audio mixing compresses the dynamic range: explosions are turned down and quieter sounds boosted, so both can be heard without every blast overwhelming the mix.
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Kernels act as strict bridges between software and hardware
It decides which programs get memory and processing time, mediating between software and hardware.
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Algorithms calculate distances between mismatched words
Levenshtein distance counts the insertions, deletions, or substitutions needed to turn a misspelled word into a candidate correction.
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5GHz networks have notoriously terrible range
The higher frequency can carry data faster nearby, but it has a harder time passing through walls like drywall, so speeds can drop as you move away from the…
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Even professional programmers copy and paste
Programmers often reuse code snippets from online forums instead of writing every piece from scratch. Even large applications can contain borrowed code that…
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Ecofont saves ink by leaving tiny holes in its letters
The gaps reduce the area a printer fills while preserving a readable letter shape at normal text sizes. Developer Spranq reported savings of about 20%…
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Your utility meter can text your usage to the company
A cellular radio sends the company your consumption readings automatically, often every day, so a meter reader doesn’t have to visit.
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Sputter deposition coats objects atom by single atom
In a vacuum, ions knock atoms from a source block of metal; those atoms travel across the chamber and settle as a thin coating on another object.
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Algorithms use branching trees to categorize data
Each yes-or-no answer sends the process down another branch until it reaches a result, much like a game of Guess Who.
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In-plane switching panels offer superior viewing angles
IPS screens align liquid crystals horizontally, helping colors stay readable from wide angles instead of shifting or inverting when viewed from the side.
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Some power plants run on airplane-style engines
When demand spikes, these plants burn natural gas in turbines connected to generators. The turbines work on the same basic principle as those used in jet…
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Glass strands bounce light internally without losing photons
Light reflects at the boundary between an optical fiber’s glass core and its surrounding cladding, staying trapped inside as it travels with little dimming.
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