Technology
Discover facts about technology. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
Technology
Error 404 means the requested destination is missing
A 404 means the server responded but couldn’t find the page you requested—it’s a missing destination, not necessarily a broken internet connection.
Discover more
Lurkers consume content but refuse to ever participate
Many people read long debates and scroll through hundreds of pictures without ever commenting or liking—a large, mostly invisible audience.
Discover more
Fragmented files take longer for systems to read
A fragmented file is stored in scattered pieces, so opening it can require the system to gather those pieces from different locations.
Discover more
Metadata reveals exactly when a file was modified
A file’s metadata can include creation, modification, and access timestamps, which may reveal when a document was edited.
Discover more
Why boss fights are really memorized dance routines
Many boss attacks follow a set sequence, so learning the pattern and timing can matter more than quick reflexes.
Discover more
File extensions just tell the system how to act
Changing a text file’s extension to an image format doesn’t turn its contents into image data; it may only make software try to open it as an image.
Discover more
STACKY FOR IPHONEA bigger world.
One discovery
at a time.
Keep discovering with Stacky. Interesting facts in an app that is always within reach.
Why overwritten files are so hard to recover
Deleting a file often removes its listing without immediately replacing the data. Writing new data over the same disk sectors replaces that information,…
Discover more
Persona 5 made the pause menu award-worthy
Persona 5’s stylish, dynamic interface was celebrated by design communities and even earned industry accolades for its menu design.
Discover more
Zynga named its company after a pet bulldog
The name came from the founder's beloved bulldog, giving the gaming company an unexpectedly personal origin.
Discover more
Sam Fisher's three green lights make hiding look recognizable
The goggles give Splinter Cell's hero a distinct silhouette even in near-darkness. Their night-vision and thermal modes also turn lighting into information…
Discover more
WinRAR's trial keeps going after 40 days
WinRAR asks users to buy a license after 40 days, but the program keeps working if they don't. The reminder doesn't lock you out.
Discover more
Uncharted 4 lets Nathan Drake lose at Crash Bandicoot
At home with Elena, Drake picks up a controller and plays a level of Naughty Dog's old PlayStation platformer. You control his attempt while the couple talks…
Discover more
How a backyard shed became London's top restaurant
A writer flooded a review platform with fabricated praise and made a nonexistent backyard shed London's top-rated restaurant, exposing how easily crowdsourced…
Discover more
Apex Legends lets mute players coordinate
Contextual pings let players mark enemies, suggest routes and claim loot without speaking.
Discover more
Baggage carousels move in continuous overlapping loops
Their interlocking metal plates let the belt bend through tight turns without opening gaps for bags to slip through.
Discover more
How Homestar Runner shaped internet humor
A cartoon wrestler answered real fan emails in terrible grammar, and the independently run site influenced internet humor for a decade.
Discover more
Deleting a dating app and canceling its subscription are different actions
Hinge markets itself as an app to leave after finding a relationship, but paid subscriptions renew until properly canceled. Removing an app from a phone isn't…
Discover more
Slack replaced inbox dread with notification anxiety
Colorful GIFs were supposed to make workplace communication feel less soul-crushing; instead, Slack's constant notification chime can sound like knocking in…
Discover more
Wikipedia has a list of its strangest articles
Wikipedia's “Unusual articles” list is a rabbit hole of odd topics, from the Great Emu War to reports of animals falling from the sky. Each entry links to an…
Discover more
The paperless office that gave us PDFs
Introduced in the early 1990s, PDFs were meant to reduce printing. Instead, they became digital documents that can be stubborn to edit.
Discover more
Half-Life returned by making you use your own hands
Half-Life: Alyx brought Valve's series into VR in 2020. Instead of simply pointing a cursor at the world, you rummage through shelves, manipulate objects, and…
Discover more
VLC player uses an orange construction cone as its logo
The orange-and-white icon comes from the VideoLAN developers' collection of traffic cones.
Discover more
Adobe tried to stop Photoshop becoming a verb
Adobe has tried to keep Photoshop from becoming a generic verb, asking people to say an image was “enhanced using image manipulation software” rather than…
Discover more
Habbo trolls turned their avatars into a locked door
During the 2006 raids, coordinated users crowded identical avatars across entrances, including the pool. The obstruction exploited the world's own movement…
Discover more