EXPLAINER: What is a derecho?
Multiple tornadoes and thunderstorms that struck the Great Plains and upper Midwest on Dec. 15 were the result of a rare event called a derecho, according to the National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center. It was the first on record in Decem.....»»
What is an audio codec? A jargon-free explainer
Ever heard or read a reference to audio codecs and wondered what the heck they are? Give us five minutes and we'll bring you up to speed, with no geek-speak......»»
EXPLAINER: NASA tests new moon rocket, 50 years after Apollo
Years late and billions over budget, NASA's new moon rocket makes its debut next week in a high-stakes test flight before astronauts get on top......»»
Apple preps Android switchers for iPhone 14 with new explainer video
In less than two months, Apple will announce the iPhone 14 series. As the company readies for this release, it has recently overhauled the iPhone 13 buying page on its official online store, and now it’s answering the most asked Android phone ques.....»»
EXPLAINER: When is Manhattanhenge? Where can you see it?
Didn't make it to Stonehenge for the solstice? There's still time to catch Manhattanhenge, when the setting sun aligns with the Manhattan street grid and bathes the urban canyons in a rosy glow......»»
EXPLAINER: Factors behind Sydney"s recent flood emergencies
Parts of Australia's largest city have been inundated by four major floods since March last year, leaving weary victims questioning how many times they can rebuild......»»
RCS is still half-baked, and Apple has no reason to adopt it
A few days ago Google posted a video about how RCS can bridge the messaging gap between iOS and Android. But, Apple doesn't need RCS, or at least the half-baked version it is today.RCS messagingGoogle's "unofficial lyric explainer" video explains tha.....»»
Google uses Drake"s "Texts Go Green" track to troll Apple
Again presenting RCS as the solution to getting Apple Messages and Android text users feature parity, Google has tweeted an "unofficial lyric explainer" about Drake's "Texts Go Green" song.The Rich Communications Service (RCS) has taken a long time.....»»
Google uses Drake’s ‘Texts Go Green’ to pressure Apple to adopt RCS on the iPhone [Video]
In recent months, Google has been publicly pressuring Apple to adopt RCS on the iPhone and its latest volley involves an “unofficial lyric explainer video” for “Texts Go Green” from Drake’s new album. more… The post Google uses Drake’.....»»
We made a PlayStation Plus explainer that’s better than Sony’s [Updated]
Breaking down Sony's confusing messaging with easy-to-digest tables and lists. Layers upon layers. [Update: Added tables outlining what types and quantities of games are available at each tier.] Since Sony announced its upcom.....»»
Amazon Kindle book purchases are the next Google Play billing casualty
After Audible purchases were turned off in April, Kindle purchases are gone now, too. Enlarge / Amazon's new purchase explainer and the "learn more" link. Following up on its earlier move to pull Audible audiobook purchas.....»»
EXPLAINER: Why South gets more killer tornadoes at night
Forget "The Wizard of Oz." Tornadoes are causing far more deaths and destruction east and south of Kansas these days. And they're often doing it in the dark of night......»»
EXPLAINER: Olympics show complexity of sustainability claims
To stage the Winter Games in the Chinese capital, organizers embarked on a massive public works campaign, constructing new venues and piping millions of gallons of water up into the arid surrounding mountains to create fake snow for ski competitions......»»
Dr. Paul Sutter breaks down how hard it is to get to Mars—and then to live there
Episode two of "Edge of Knowledge" continues, focusing on the red planet. Produced and directed by Corey Eisenstein. Click here for transcript. (video link) Welcome to the second episode of "Edge of Knowledge," our science explainer series.....»»
EXPLAINER: How China got blue skies in time for Olympics
The blue skies greeting Olympic athletes here this month are a stark change from just a decade ago when the city's choking air pollution was dubbed an "Airpocalypse" and blamed for scaring off tourists......»»
EXPLAINER: Why Tonga eruption was so big and what"s next
People around the world looked on in awe at the spectacular satellite images of an undersea volcano erupting in a giant mushroom cloud in the Pacific. Many wondered why the blast was so big, how the resulting tsunami traveled so far, and what will h.....»»
EXPLAINER: Veteran Hubble vs. new Webb space telescope
Don't ask astronomers to choose between the Hubble Space Telescope and the new kid on the cosmic block, the James Webb Space Telescope......»»
EXPLAINER: What is a derecho?
Multiple tornadoes and thunderstorms that struck the Great Plains and upper Midwest on Dec. 15 were the result of a rare event called a derecho, according to the National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center. It was the first on record in Decem.....»»
Explainer: What is Chip Binning?
#ThrowBackThursday You just bought a new CPU and it seems to run cool, so you try a bit of overclocking. The GHz climbs higher. Did you hit the silicon jackpot? You've got yourself a binned chip. But what's that exactly?.....»»
EXPLAINER: Was tornado outbreak related to climate change?
The calendar said December but the warm moist air screamed of springtime. Add an eastbound storm front guided by a La Nina weather pattern into that mismatch and it spawned tornadoes that killed dozens over five U.S. states......»»
Explainer: What is a File System?
There are many different ways to organize files and directories in a computer, but in the abstract of how that happens at the hardware and OS level is typically assigned to the file system. This is how it works......»»