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65qdr9
Why is the cursor arrow in every OS at the same tilted angle to the left?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgcg8it", "dgccjxo" ], "text": [ "Because 45 degree diagonal lines don't look as weird as other angles on a low resolution screen.", "Because the graphical user interface was designed in English-speaking places, where we read from top to bottom and from left to right. The tail of the ...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
65qfbh
How do TV networks know how many viewers are tuned in at any particular moment?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgccwq5", "dgcd5u1", "dgcq1k4" ], "text": [ "They don't know that information. They get their ratings info from companies who pay average people to record their TV watching preferences. They even use that info and sample size and guess how many were watching.", "So, the stats avai...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
65qjil
Where and how is offline spotify/netflix content saved?
I searched my phone to see where the content is saved, but did't found anything
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgcebpl" ], "text": [ "> Inside the SD drive, I can find the spotify folder with directories android/data/com.spotify.mobile.android.ui/ and then /cache and /files. URL_0 It appears that Spotify also encrypts the files so you can't use them in other applications." ], "score": [ 3 ],...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
65rjxg
How do "hive" applications get startup users? Apps like tinder, meetup, and other social apps?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgcxar5", "dgcs03i", "dgcrud6", "dgcp3q0", "dgd3brj", "dgcwcat", "dgd86ue", "dgd31in", "dgd2lci", "dgcy949", "dgcr14s", "dgd8lku", "dgd1eqt", "dgcq47k", "dgcy7d3", "dgcytwz", "dgd2uq7", "dgd5xds", "dgdl80n", "dgd0am4", "d...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
65t3dt
If Windows' constant ask to restart your computer after updates has generated into a meme, then why haven't Microsoft changed their approach to try to get the user to implement these updates?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgd2pyu" ], "text": [ "They understand but the other option is to let a lot of computers remain vulnerable. This was the problem that Windows had since the internet was a thing and partly how Windows earned its reputation as being woefully insecure compared to competitors like Linux and Mac. ...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
65tecf
If all websites start with "www." what is the point of having it in the first place?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgd2zoy", "dgd2xyp", "dgd2xh4" ], "text": [ "Not all websites start with `www`. This *host name* can be nearly anything you want. It's useful for distinguishing different parts of the same domain: for example, although the main portal to Wikipedia is at ` URL_6 `, the English Wikipedi...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
65tgfj
Why do you see individual pixels in small droplets of water on an LED screen?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgd3ok2" ], "text": [ "The droplets form a kind of lens which magnifies the screen under them, showing the colored segments which make up the pixels of the screen." ], "score": [ 6 ], "text_urls": [ [] ] }
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
65ux0l
Why is it that a machine that has no moving parts can start working correctly again after a reboot or a significant period of downtime?
For example, our home WiFi started playing up after everyone came back for the Easter holidays. 6 people in the family, all with multiple devices and whatnot. Anyway, after rebooting it several times to no avail, I decided to leave it off, completely unplugged, overnight. Now it works fine. It's not like it's a living ...
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgdd8cu", "dgdmx5f" ], "text": [ "A device like a wifi router is still connected to the same connection after a quick reboot most of the times. Leaving it of makes the connection to the provider timeout and it has to make a new request and so on and so on.", "For one, and I know this ...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
65vm0z
What is the difference between .doc and .docx files?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgdjweu", "dgdi8oi" ], "text": [ "In order to understand the difference between the 2, you really need to know what was wrong with the old type. As you likely know, the original MS word file format was the .doc file type. This file type is actually quite old and evolved over time. The pro...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
65xkhw
How does combining Playstations (or any other computer) into a "cluster" create a supercomputer?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dge1z5h", "dgdym5z", "dgdyd2d" ], "text": [ "Software developer here, Cluster computing is not the same as grid computing or cloud computing or super computing or mainframe computing. A cluster is a homogeneous local network of nodes, a grid is heterogeneous, a cloud is heterogeneous,...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
65xwt7
why aren't we investing in engines that run on hydrogen?
Wouldn't it solve both our dependency on oil and the rise of CO2 production if we could create engines that ran off hydrogen possibly even making an engine that took water, split it, burned the hydrogen and released the oxygen and water?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dge0y6j", "dge0yze", "dge136z", "dge17p7" ], "text": [ "The energy required to \"Split\" water into its composite hydrogen and oxygen would exceed the energy you harvest by burning it. You can make hydrogen powered devices through the use of [Fuel Cells]( URL_0 ) which generate el...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
65yq5t
Why do all radio stations end with an odd number after the decimal?
Such as 101.5 but never 101.4 or 101.6
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dge7icr", "dgegbyy" ], "text": [ "To avoid interference, stations must be 0.2 MHz apart. If they used the even numbers too, they'd only be 0.1 MHz apart, and the signals would overlap.", "I just wanted to add, for fun, that every station ID that starts with a K is West of the Mississi...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
660mdb
Why the iPhone 7 home button aren't replaceable?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgepp28" ], "text": [ "They can be replaced, however replacing the home button means you lose Touch ID. Apple won't replace it for you, even though they can fix. They would rather try to convince you buy a new phone." ], "score": [ 7 ], "text_urls": [ [] ] }
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
660zif
Considering all the different elements of sound, how is audio translated into binary so that a computer can understand what it's processing?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgernor" ], "text": [ "As complex as sound.. uh.. *sounds*, really your ear drum is interpreting all those various sounds into one wave form. That is because you have one ear drum in each year, and it has only so many dimensions. It's really a matter of how much pressure, and how fast, the ea...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
6617l4
How do we use radar to figure out where it's raining and where lightning has struck?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgeuwp9" ], "text": [ "Rainfall appears on certain types of radar - it reflects the radar signal back to the dish, which is also able to detect the motion of raindrops (Doppler radar). Wikipedia has more details [here] ( URL_0 ). Lightning detection is different - it doesn't use radar at all....
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
661g0b
Why do different CPUs/Motherboards have different pin counts and does the number of pins affect performance?
I was looking to buy an Intel gaming/workstation PC when I came across different motherboard sockets like 1151 and 2011-3 which have 1151 and 2011 pins respectively. It came across me that if the you had 2 of the same CPU and the only difference is being the number of CPU/Motherboard pins on it, would the performance b...
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgeur09" ], "text": [ "More pins are mostly used for more power and ground connections as power requirements increase. In addition, we are now doing more in the processor, which requires direct connections. Before, we used a single bus, to connect to a Northbridge chip, which connected to mem...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
662ngu
How old phones could turn theirselves on for alarm, whereas smartphones cannot?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgf5bqh" ], "text": [ "It's all about permissions and what files an app can change. Apps can do a lot of things, like downloading stuff, access your camera, turn the screen on, play music etc. But there are some things that an app can't do because the Phone system does not allow it. Talking a...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
662opm
Why is it so hard for N. Korea to develop nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them?
Apologies if this has been asked before but I didn't see it in the crappy reddit search. Nuclear technology was first developed in the 40s. Yet we see stories about N. Korea and other countries trying to develop this technology and seemingly being unable to do so. Why is it so hard for them to develop tech that is 60-7...
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgf5eis", "dgf66e7" ], "text": [ "1) It's not that easy to cobble together enough fissionable material to actually build a bomb, and is actually far harder than making material suitable for a nuclear reactor for power production. This is doubly true when you account for the fact that the ...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
6636e8
Why is it okay to use VR headsets but not okay to sit 10 inches away from a TV
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgf73dn", "dgfdf8y", "dgfmqai" ], "text": [ "It's not a matter of images being projected but rather how much your eye strains to focus on up-close things. When you are sitting 10 inches away from a TV, the muscles in your eye need to strain to change a clear lens within your eye so th...
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664vly
Why are all circuitboards green? Motherboards, random stuff around, laptops, graphic cards, etc.
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgflkaf" ], "text": [ "Mostly a combination of things. The earliest phenolic boards (some paper cured with resin, a very early plastic composite material) were an ugly brown-maroon color for decades. Green PCBs came around when we started to use fiberglass instead of paper as the substrate fo...
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665d73
Why has technology advanced so much in the last 100 years compared to the previous 1000?
What's caused tech to advance so rapidly in recent times?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgfps0g", "dgfpze4" ], "text": [ "A ton of reasons, but here are a few of the big ones: * Society began rewarding innovation. If you made carts in the 12 century and found a way to make wheels a bit faster, you couldn't, as you can today, market that idea, spread it around, and make money...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
666xqx
With electronic voting so commonplace, why does it take so long for precincts to report in? Shouldn't the report be instant the moment the polls close?
Surely they wouldn't do it just to keep us in suspense...
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgg59da", "dgg7vfm" ], "text": [ "Just because it's electronic doesn't mean it's connected to the internet. I worked an election a few years ago in a city that used optical scanners. First, just because the polls are closed, doesn't mean voting is done. Anyone in line is still allowed to ...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
66b08b
Why isn't satellite imagery for map providers updated more often?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgh0v0s" ], "text": [ "those aren't satellite images. overhead views are taken by airplane. real commercial satellite images aren't that fine resolution that you can make out your car on your driveway. the NSA prob has satellites that can read the newspaper in your hand though." ], "score...
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[ "url" ]
66bq4f
If I don't know how to physically create video games, but I create the ideas for them, What is my job title?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgh8nj0", "dgh6x21", "dghhrjg", "dgh724f", "dgi78wo" ], "text": [ "Unless you have some sort of specific skillset that can contribute to turning those ideas into an actual product, (art, project management, programming, screenwriting, etc.) your job title is unemployed.", ...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
66c2we
How can we get a picture of the Milkyway without sending a satellite outside of our galaxy?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dghaa7o", "dgh9k25" ], "text": [ "Those pictures are: * an artist's conception * a computer generated simulation base on what we can see from earth * another galaxy we think looks like ours As you point out, it is not possible for us to take a picture of our galaxy from the outside.", ...
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[ "url" ]
66casb
How do fingerprint readers / touch IDs maintain security without the need for frequent changes like a normal password?
Edit: So it's biometric data, but it's still 1s and 0s just like any other data.
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dghbuhy" ], "text": [ "A password is something you know. It's knowledge. Knowledge can be given away, or stolen. So if you haven't changed your password, maybe someone has figured it out. So, for security reasons, you should change passwords frequently. But biometric security, like fingerprin...
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66cito
How did people talk to people on different continents back when we only had land lines?
I more or less understand why cell phones can work but I don't get how a land line could call people across oceans...
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dghdx5e" ], "text": [ "There are lots of physical telephone cables under the Atlantic and elsewhere. These trace their history back to underwater telegraph cables that were laid in Victorian times. [Map of Atlantic cables 1858]( URL_0 ) The British Empire worldwide was similarly connected in ...
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[ "url" ]
66dh8q
Why does it take so much longer to use a phone/laptop's charge than it does to actually charge it?
I just noticed that my laptop has 20% battery left, but only 20 minutes charging it gives me another 8 estimated hours of usage. Why is this the case?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dghlx5o" ], "text": [ "The laptop let's say uses about 200mAh of power. Your charger can give to laptops battery 2000mAh of power. Your laptop is power efficient and does not consume more than what charger charges. As battery wears out over time, it will charge quicker and depleet quicker, be...
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66dk85
If an electronic device or machine is hit by an EMP powerful enough to knock it out, what will you have to do to get it running again?
There was a recent news story that the Russian military is bragging it has an EMP powerful enough to knock out naval vessels. So suppose that happens to an aircraft carrier: What would they have to do to get it working again? Replace the core components? Switch to backup power? If they have an alternative, does the EMP...
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dghnqb5", "dghow7a" ], "text": [ "When electricity pass through a wire it creates an electric field around the wire. Similarly when an electric field is close to a wire, it makes a small amount of electricity pass through the wire. EMPs generate massive electric fields so they can make la...
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66f8du
Why do magnets have little to no effect on common technology anymore?
I remember as a kid when I waived a magnet over the TV set the whole thing would freak out. Now, if I hold a magnet in front of my monumentally more complex iPhone, it's attracted to it, but has no effect. What stops magnets from destroying pieces of technology like they used to in the past?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgibjlw", "dgi2onr", "dgi35qj", "dgi89za" ], "text": [ "Oh shit, I've literally got a degree that lets me explain this! (Electrical and Electronic Engineering btw). So, old school TVs were known as \"Cathode Ray TVs\". A Cathode and the corresponding Anode are terms used to descri...
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66gt2h
Why do some places use web authentication pages instead of just using a WPA key (especially those that offer free wifi, such as hotels, banks, cafes, etc.)?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgiciqq" ], "text": [ "A WPA key is the same for everyone. It's difficult, therefore, to lock out individual users automatically. Using an authentication token delivered via a web-page makes it much, *much* easier to keep track of how long an individual user has been online, and whether they'...
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66h6pl
. As far as I understand computers just take a string of one's and zeros and perform an operation based off of that string. So why can my computer do the same operation 99 times without an issue and then crash the 100th time?
It seems like the point of a computer is to take out the human error component, yet it seems like they make errors like humans.
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgiesyg", "dgietrk" ], "text": [ "The computer *isn't* doing the exact same operation 100 times when initial conditions are considered. If you could observe its internal state, you'd find that *something* had changed between the first 99, where everything went fine, and the hundredth wher...
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66hxck
How come videos don't load like they used to?
It seems like not long ago one could click on a video, hit play and then pause it so that it could load all the way before watching it. One could easily re-wind by clicking any time in the video and it would already be loaded. Nowadays it seems like you click the video, hit play and then pause and the video does not lo...
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgimtcg", "dgimq88", "dgj7no9" ], "text": [ "They changed the way buffering works to try to cut down on data usage. Many people dont watch the entire video so there is no point in loading the whole thing. and internet is faster these days so most people's connection can buffer faster ...
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66imgn
Why/when did we start calling Emoticons Emojis?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgiqjzz", "dgiql9q", "dgj49bj" ], "text": [ "They're actually different! Emoticons are ~technically~ just these: :) :( < 3 etc. Made **just** with punctuation symbols. Some software **may** convert those symbols into pictures...but there is no defined standard. < 3 might become a hear...
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66irzx
Why are TV/movie cameras so much larger than consumer-grade cameras or phone cameras?
Referring to video cameras, specifically. What's all that extra space used for?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgislqn" ], "text": [ "The biggest space hogs are the lens assemblies. A fancy assembly can do manual iris (how much light comes in/exposed the picture is) zoom, and focus just by moving pieces of glass and metal around. Your smartphone or consumer camera is much more limited in what it can d...
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66isfc
Every human on the planet spontaneously vanishes, and a hundred years later, aliens arrive. Would they be able to find out about the internet?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgissjk", "dgit7am", "dgirrjl" ], "text": [ "Sure, there would be an \"Internet for Dummies\" book someplace on a library shelf. They could learn all about what the Internet was. They could go to the places where the computers were, and maybe fix up the Wikipedia servers so they could...
[ "url" ]
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66j8nn
How is it possible that no one ever leaks critical algorithm information from secretive companies such as Google and Facebook?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dkmdoil", "dgiwimg", "dgivix2" ], "text": [ "I realize this is a really old question, but I'm not happy with the answers. Most comments are something along the lines of \"How would you use it? You can't just create your own search engine\". Everyone is ignoring the fact that the algor...
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66k6so
Is watching a movie on a phone held close to your face an equivalent viewing experience to sitting a distance away from a big screen if they cover the same area of your field of vision? If not, why not?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgj4198" ], "text": [ "It isn't a matter of scale, but rather your eyes' focal point. Even if a big screen and a phone held up close are equivalent, there is still a difference between focusing your eyes several inches in front of you versus 50 feet away. ETA: I might answering LI6, so someon...
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66l7k1
Why should we scan instead of photocopying?
[Explaining digital archiving to an aunt who lives in the past] When my wife's grandmother died, she entrusted several hundred old (1800s–1980s) photographs to my wife and me. My wife's aunt, who lives 1,000 miles away, is a hoarder stuck in the pre-computer age, and she keeps calling us requesting the original documen...
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgjbzh5", "dgjbv1x", "dgjbywj", "dgjbvgg", "dgjsd2j", "dgjd26g" ], "text": [ "As someone that works with technology with people that are old and don't understand technology she almost certainly just doesn't know what the heck you are talking about and just wants the thing ...
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66lld3
the benefits of helium-3 from mining the moon
Heard about it in the news and am curious
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgjj1oz" ], "text": [ "There is no benefit. Helium-3 is the best fuel source for fusion power, but fusion power isn't anywhere near being viable nor is there any expectation that it ever will be. The whole mining Helium-3 on the moon thing is a science fiction plot device and nothing more. Th...
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66lo3q
Copyright Infringement
How does a publishing company find out who downloads their content illegally, IE using BitTorrent?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgjhbqo" ], "text": [ "They have agents connecting to the infringing torrent swarms who record the IP addresses of everyone in the swarms. With the IP addresses, they can then easily find the ISPs and send them a notice about the infringing IP addresses." ], "score": [ 4 ], "text_...
[ "url" ]
[ "url" ]
66lrox
Windows Regedit
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgjk42n" ], "text": [ "The registry is a database of internal settings for Windows and for the programs that are installed on the computer. Back in the days of Windows 3.1 and Windows 95, each program had its own configuration files, but then Microsoft decided to change the system for newer v...
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66noo7
Why do we worry about the number of times you can write to an SSD?
From what I understand, RAM is basically temporary solid state storage. Data is written to RAM almost constantly while your PC is in use, and then that data is dumped either when programs are closed or when your PC is shut down. Solid State Drives are similar in that they have no moving parts, but their data storage is...
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgjx483" ], "text": [ "The basic answer is that RAM and SSDs are different in the way they store data. SSD read/writes are (much) lower than HDD, a cost in exchange for speed (but not as much speed as RAM). The better term you are looking for in regards to SSD/HDD v. RAM permanence is volatil...
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66ofa4
Why isn't T-Mobile violating net neutrality?
T-Mobile doesn't charge extra data when users listen to music on certain data plans. Yesterday, there was an article on r/worldnews about Canada upholding net neutrality. It said, "Differential pricing contradicts the principle of net neutrality because it allows service providers to leverage their privileged position ...
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgk1e4h", "dgk0lj9", "dgk1ehm" ], "text": [ "It absolutely is a violation of net neutrality. It's a textbook example of how to violate net neutrality. They're giving certain services to customers with different levels of access based on what they pay. I think your real question is, wh...
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66q7wr
What is net neutrality?
What is it? I've heard of it before but I don't understand any of it.
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgkeps7", "dgkkkyn", "dgkrxfg" ], "text": [ "Net neutrality is the concept that every internet service provider *(ISP)* treats every piece of data equally. This means that the ISP doesn't slow packages down when they go to websites that aren't in their favor. This means that ISP A tra...
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66qrjj
Why do mobile apps (facebook/twitter/etc) have updates so often?
Why do mobile apps have 30+mb updates every day or two? I've never understood what kind of bug fixes etc. they would need to update so frequently for. Can someone enlighten me please?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgkpps1" ], "text": [ "There are multiple reasons. One is because there are so many devices, at least on Android. Those hundreds of devices all have different screen sizes, processors, OS versions, and many other differences. As users find bugs, they can report them, and with the hundreds of ...
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66ramk
What is better about flat cables rather than regular cylindrical ones? I keep seeing them advertised as being better.
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgkn2vo" ], "text": [ "Cylindrical things have relatively equal resistance going in any direction, so they can bend and get tangled in a variety of ways. Flat cables bend easily one way but are harder to bend across the thicker side. Since they tangle less they can be advertised as better." ...
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[ "url" ]
66rc1z
What is the thing they use to trigger an explosive in cartoons?
I'm talking about something like this: URL_0 I have some experience with explosives, but never encountered such a thing.
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgknhpw", "dgknltb", "dgknk2g" ], "text": [ "That is a blasting generator. Back in the days before microelectronics it was not that easy to generate a high voltage current from batteries to set off electronic blasting caps. So you would have a small hand operated generator to generate...
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[ "url" ]
66rgi4
What is Elon Musk's new company Neuralink, and what is its goal?
I saw Elon announced a new company called Neuralink, and I read part of the article about it, but couldn't really understand what it's all about.
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgkr7o5" ], "text": [ "Brain-machine interfaces (BMIs) already exist, and are used for a variety of medical purposes. Cochlear implants can restore some hearing, retinal implants can offer low-resolution sight, and vagus nerve stimulation can reduce the severity of epileptic seizures. However...
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66t1ve
How license plate readers, both stationary and on police patrol cars. Help stop gang violence.
I was recently watching my local news station. They had a pretty large segment on how license plate readers stop gang violence. The segment ended up having less information then I was hoping for. After watching it I still do not understand how the police would use the collected information to stop gang violence.
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgl2pst", "dgl4kgp" ], "text": [ "Often when a news source says something helps \"stop\" a particular kind of crime, they don't mean it helps pre-emptively stop a particular thing from happening. They really mean it helps catch perpetrators faster, cut down on repeat behavior between the ...
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66tc1h
What circumstances is torrenting legal?
Obviously any freeware would be okay. Is it ever legal to torrent a Movie? If you pay for cable/streaming services are the shows on there legal to download since you pay for those in a way?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgl4msq", "dgl4t5x", "dgli9is" ], "text": [ "Torrenting is legal so long as the people you are Torrenting from have the legal rights to distribute the files they are distributing. If you seed, it's legal so long as you have the legal right to distribute the files you're seeding.", ...
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[ "url" ]
66tnl5
how are traffic light sequences decided and programmed?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgl7853", "dglaaxa", "dgl7ba8" ], "text": [ "The sequence is usually the same, north/south goes, then people turning left, then east/west goes, then more people turning left. At a good intersection the length of the light is determined by inductive sensors buried in the road, which se...
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66ufcm
How come when phone screens break, they are still completely functional and readable, but when computer monitors or TVs break, they can no longer display the correct colors?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgleb0y", "dgle1z6" ], "text": [ "To explain it simply...when you break a monitor, you're breaking the screen directly. When you're breaking a phone screen for the most part, it's like breaking a glass panel placed over the monitor rather than the monitor itself. The glass is there for st...
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66v4er
Can a telescope act as a microscope?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgliw1o" ], "text": [ "A telescope is focused at infinity. It expects all light to come in parallel to the telescope. If you look at something close it ends up blurry. A microscope on the other hand is focused at a very close range. The difference can be adjusted by a single lens often called...
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66v5vi
How do CPUs understand Assembly Language
For example CMP EAX 1 How does the CPU understand the opcode CMP? And by extension, how does the CPU compare two numbers? Where are they stored when being compared?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dglj34m" ], "text": [ "The assembly code gets mapped into binary machine code. This is a pretty simple mapping and if you have read the x86 manual where all the assembly opcodes are listed their machine codes are listed with them. In the CPU there is a small state machine that runs the microc...
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66vxxk
How does Stephen Hawking "talk"?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dglnytp" ], "text": [ "From URL_0 > My main interface to the computer is through an open source program called ACAT, written by Intel. This provides a software keyboard on the screen. A cursor automatically scans across this keyboard by row or by column. I can select a character by moving my ...
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66vy2r
Why are Xeon processors better suited for server applications than mainstream CPUs?
Just curious what makes them better...
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dglpd5t", "dgltl1g", "dglpbrr", "dglvqbv", "dgm50yj" ], "text": [ "Xeon processors allow you to use ECC (Error-correcting code) memory. This is crucial in servers because it allows the memory to self correct data corruption in most instances. It also provides more virtualizati...
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66w911
Why do the first 4 numbers of my IPV6 Address never change?
Ive noticed lately that the first 4 numbers of my ipv6 address never change. For example my ip address looks like this xxxx:xx:xxxx:xxxx:fd50:56d4:8e2d:c6c4 Where the x's remain constant and the last 4 numbers change constantly. What do those first 4 numbers mean and why dont they change?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgls27e", "dglrz4l" ], "text": [ "The first 64 bits of your ip address is your network. It is assigned or given to you by your provider. Just like your house number never changes (without a lot of extra planning) your network won't change (without a lot of extra planning). The last 64 bit...
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66xif0
Why does machine-made ice cubes have holes in them?
When I make ice cubes at home (in a tray) the cubes are perfectly square, but at restaurants the ice cubes have a hollow part on one of the sides... why?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgm0ltu", "dgm070z" ], "text": [ "When you make them at home, you fill compartments in a tray with water and freeze the entire thing, so each compartment becomes an ice cube. Ice makers work slightly differently. They have an array of fingers (or prongs or spikes, whatever) which are dipp...
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66xisn
Aren't electric cars still using fossil fuels?
Since most electricity (~85% in US) comes from burning of fossil fuels, wouldn't electric cars using the electricity be using fossil fuels? Is it significantly more efficient to use the fossil fuels burned at the power plant instead of gasoline in a car?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgm0p2x", "dgm0uq0" ], "text": [ "Yes, electric cars will still be using energy that's ultimately derived from fossil fuels for the most part, but as you guessed, the tiny engine in an automobile is significantly less efficient than the enormous turbines and other equipment used in power ...
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66xsm3
How would extraterrestrial life forms be able to decipher a message in binary?
I have heard that binary coding is a universal language. But I was also told that letters are represented by a series of numbers. Therefore how would they be able to comprehend us?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgm4b2a" ], "text": [ "It's not so much that we think binary is a universal language. We think that *numbers* are universal, and that binary is the simplest way to communicate them. We'd do something like sending sequences of prime numbers, effectively communicating the message \"there is int...
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66xw8t
How do people with metal body parts go through metal detectors at airports?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgm36tp", "dgm39li" ], "text": [ "They don't. These days they are directed through the millimeter wave detectors. Or they can opt for a hand screening.", "My father has 2 fake knees. He carries a note saying that. He also gets screened and gets a pat down." ], "score": [ 15, ...
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66xxbv
What are the differences in the levels of caches?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgm4h1m", "dgm6wlf" ], "text": [ "Speed and size. By speed I mean how fast can the cache give you data you want (aka latency). Size is tied to the speed of the cache, the smaller the cache is the faster it can give you the data. That is the main tradeof. You want the cache fast (small) bu...
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66ytvg
why does every car have remote central locking but homes do not?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgmbvz2", "dgmbalh", "dgmpgym" ], "text": [ "You can get remote locking door locks for your home. But in general they are harder to get power to. Most exterior facing home doors are solid and hard to fish power wires to. The \"wifi\" and digital combo locks you see are all battery pow...
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66zcd9
why are there no transparent phones, computers or TV like we see in futuristic movies even though we have the technology?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgmfryr", "dgmfmpt", "dgmicl5", "dgmgg4t" ], "text": [ "because it would be awful. you get enough glare from light shining on the front, now imagine how bad it'd be if you add light coming through the back", "Circuits arnt see though yet and itd be kind of annoying vs just see...
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66zv5f
What's the difference between a CPU with integrated graphics and an APU?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgml4i7" ], "text": [ "A 'CPU with integrated graphics' is a technical description. \"APU\" is a brand name from AMD, like how \"Retina\" is a brand name from Apple describing a high DPI screen." ], "score": [ 12 ], "text_urls": [ [] ] }
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670sb9
Why are Scuba Suits mainly black?
I know that some fish tend to have their underbellies white and the tops dark (some rays), is there some relation of this with scuba suits? Or to do with absorbing heat, being seen, etc. Thanks!
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgmsvos", "dgmuded" ], "text": [ "The purpose of a wetsuit is to keep you warm. They do this by trapping water between the suit and your skin. Black is the best color to absorb sunlight - and heat the suit up. There may be some other reasons but I believe this is the main one..", "A b...
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671717
What is it about Microsoft updates that they happen so often, instead of waiting a longer period of time to update alot in one sitting?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgmwd2f" ], "text": [ "Back in the Windows 98 days MS released the 'Critical Update Notification Tool' (no idea how that acronym got past them; when they figured it out they renamed it 'Critical Update Notification Utility'). It would check MS servers for 'Critical' updates every 5 minutes (l...
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673o62
Why isn't there a universal volume level?
Since I'm not entirely sure how to explain it, I'll explain my frustration. When I listen to youtube, I need to raise my volume button, when I toggle over to a game, I need to lower it, when I want to watch Netflix, I need to adjust it once again.
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgnfmex" ], "text": [ "Your talking about volume normalization. There is such a thing. Not everyone uses it in recording post peocessing. They should." ], "score": [ 21 ], "text_urls": [ [] ] }
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6751ju
How the anti-shoplifting vertical bars at stores' exits work (if you have no clue what I'm talking about let me know)
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgnq5mk" ], "text": [ "These panels are RFID detectors. Some valuable/high incidence of theft items have a little plastic tag attached to them, within which is an antenna and a programmable chip. If one of them gets too close to the panel's, they sound an alarm. They can be disabled by a stro...
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6777ge
Why does Reddit search often fail.?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgo9nel", "dgo9lts" ], "text": [ "I remember some redditor saying that most search engines refreshes the search automatically after a certain amount of time if it doesn't go through but for reddit instead of refreshing it just goes 404", "I don't get this either. If it's taking some t...
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6783j2
Why do ads nowadays ask you to search for the brand name or keywords rather than providing a website?
Most print, cinema, radio, or any other ads (I use adblock so I don't get internet ads, there may be an exception there, and I also don't watch TV so that might also be an exception) for the last few years seem to say to search (like on a search engine) for their brand name or keywords of the ad instead of providing a ...
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgodzwe", "dgohb2a" ], "text": [ "What do you remember easier, \"Search for Plink on google!\" or \"Go to URL_0 !\"? In the first case, you only have to sort of remember the name (was it plunk? pink? Something like that), in the second case you have to remember the website unless you're g...
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679cmf
why do capital letters matter in URLs for YouTube videos?
**Why do capital letters matter in URLs for YouTube videos?** Taking a video for example: * Why does this URL work? URL_0 * But this one doesn't? URL_2 Is there a reason for doing this? If so, what is it? Are the capital letters randomised? Edit: Another video (if the above doesn't work): * With capital letters: URL_1 ...
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgomygq" ], "text": [ "Because that way you get shorter URLs. Assume no numbers for a moment. If you disregard difference between capital and lowercase letters, you have 26 different options for 1-letter long video tags. If you regard them as different letters, you have 52 options. For 2 lett...
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679hf4
Why do ads attached to videos tend to load faster with better quality than the actual video I'm trying to watch?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgonzqc", "dgp773j" ], "text": [ "The ads are presented to many people in your area for many different types of requests so they are kept in a local cache while your specific video likely is not. Think about going to a car parts store and requesting a specific part. They need to go find i...
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679irn
How does clicking the "I'm not a robot" reCAPTCHA box confirm that I'm human?
Couldn't a spam program automatically click the box to bypass this?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgop3ld", "dgoyn92", "dgop2yo", "dgosdam", "dgpccv3", "dgowj2c", "dgonzem", "dgowyhu", "dgp16pi", "dgp0sso" ], "text": [ "reCAPTCHA takes account of a whole lot of information about how your cursor moves before you ever click that box. If it looks like some...
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679r40
How do we know that a machine isn't deceiving us during a Turing test by simulating detectable machine answers so the AI remains undetected?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgoqfip", "dgp3gj5" ], "text": [ "Theoretically it's possible that someday there could be an intelligent machine that tried to hide its own intelligence. Today we know that's not the case because we understand how all of the machines that have ever competed in Turing tests actually work. ...
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679w4b
Why does San Francisco, home to an industry known for literally inventing telecommuting, suffer from so much location-based demand when the employees could be living anywhere?
Why is it that tech workers need to be in (or close to) San Francisco to work for companies like Google, Oracle, LinkedIn, Adobe, etc. when those companies could embrace telework and hire people from anywhere in the US/world?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgoxew6", "dgowy8p" ], "text": [ "Many of the companies here in Silicon Valley have offices in other cities, and those offices do real tech work, so your assumption that the workers have to be here is slightly incorrect, but there are a couple of strong forces at work here that conflate t...
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67blel
Have you tried turning it off and on again?
I understand why some issues may require a restart but this seems such a prevalent solution to (what seems like) a fair range of problems. Is there something else going on? The same goes for unplugging and re-plugging things (looking at you, wifi), what was going wrong previously that is now solved without actually cha...
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgp58ad" ], "text": [ "Certain processes stop working right, certain programs don't load properly and the programs on the RAM (active memory to what you are using) is messed up. Restarting the computer clears the RAM allowing your programs and processes to start new and fresh allowing them to...
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67d04y
How do sports commentators have access to such seemingly obscure facts and stats at all times? >
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgpmy9s", "dgpgvi6" ], "text": [ "There was a show on ESPN years ago about a company that gets all the obscure stats for them. Can't remember the name of the company. They did the crazy stuff, like in baseball when they tell you this is the first time in 17 years a left handed batter has ...
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67fe24
how do torrents work?
I'm not gonna say that I've download something illegally, I'm not gonna say that its adobe after effect 2017. But if I did do that it says it isn't registered and cant use any of the functions at all? Can someone explain the concept and all.
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgpzhj0", "dgpz8lr" ], "text": [ "Do you really want to know how torrents work or do you just want to know why the software you downloaded isn't working? Most programs and games need to be cracked before you can use them. The crack is usually included when you download the software and th...
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67fjeo
What is Broadband Accessibility Act of 2017?
A few days ago, I came across this post. URL_0 I'm not from U.S, so I'm not really familiar with how messy internet infrastructure is there. Can you guys ELI5 on this topic? - What is Broadband Accessibility Act of 2017? - Is this all related to Net Neutrality thing happening in U.S right now? - Who is winning in this ...
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgqn1ey" ], "text": [ "> What is Broadband Accessibility Act of 2017? Basically? It's a $45 million bribe being paid to AT & T and Comcast to get them to stop blocking EPB expansion in Tennessee. EPB is an electric power cooperative in Tennessee that started offering gigabit internet service ...
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67g39t
Often in movies there are lines of dialogue (subtitles) that aren't possible to hear.
Anyone knows? The subtitles appear and it is impossible to hear the dialogue. Thanks for all the answers so far but this user has my question right: /u/cleverlikeme > I think the OP is actually asking about 'background' conversations that aren't distinguishable audibly but still get clear subtitles. In other words, in ...
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgq7o0a", "dgq3e0n", "dgq382m", "dgq7bny", "dgq8ci1", "dgq3jio", "dgqiawl", "dgq3z6j", "dgqgtl3" ], "text": [ "I took a class on subtitling in college and it's really important to realize that subtitles, be them for deaf/hard-of-hearing or from on language to a...
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67gd5w
How do cameras, or their lenses, auto-focus?
At first I thought that maybe the concept was a little similar to our eyes in that it tries to get as much of the incoming light on one point, the middle of the sensor, and so adjusts the focus ring until it finds a position with the largest amount of light on this spot. However, this doesn't explain (to me, anyway - m...
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgq68jr", "dgq71pq", "dgq9jb2", "dgq8ccy", "dgq9p6n" ], "text": [ "2 ways: - You digitally analyze the frame to figure out the least blurry lens configuration. Least blurry means sharpest color transitions between neighboring pixels. Only works in certain types of digital came...
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67giqo
Why do modern video games on the console make you download the game first?
I'm able to put the disc in and begin playing instantly on my xbox360 but when I put a game in my xbox one and it has to download.
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgq6h61", "dgq9e6t", "dgq6ilp" ], "text": [ "Because games have gotten bigger, and shipping takes time. When a game is \"done\" it may not be done. It is just in a condition where it can be shipped. Then in the months / weeks between printing discs and shipping them around the world, ...
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67hkhh
is the speed of electricity and the speed of light the same thing?
When I plug my phone into the charger does the speed of electricity coming from the outlet into my phone match 300,000,000 m/s?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgqfahf" ], "text": [ "Almost. Current passing through a medium travels at a rate given by its \"velocity factor,\" which is anywhere from 0.5*c* to 0.99*c* depending on what the wire is made of. Copper wire is like 0.95*c*. So the current travels very close to, but not quite at, the speed of...
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67j2s1
How and Where do websites store their massive amounts of content?
Big websites like Instagram, Facebook and Youtube. How do they keep so many people's information (Thousands and thousands of terabytes of pictures and videos)?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgqt6hp" ], "text": [ "Websites like Facebook store their content on Content Delivery Networks (CDN's), these are companies like Akamai, Amazon, or Cloudflare who own thousands of servers in dozens or hundreds of places around the world. Websites pay these companies to host their content for ...
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67jls5
Is it true when your parents tell you that when you play video games that it Rots your brain??
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgqwub0", "dgqw99d" ], "text": [ "No, however it can mess up with your \"reward system\" because most winning at most games is waaaay easier than winning in real life (requires no extensive training sessions, you don't have to run, etc..) There are some studies that prove that Video games...
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67leo8
When 1080p movies are letterboxed on 4:3 screens, what is the new resolution you're watching?
Are the pixels just squished together or do you lose some detail?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgrchjn" ], "text": [ "You lose detail. How much detail depends on the resolution of the display. It is possible to have a high-resolution 4:3 display, however most 4:3 television displays have a low \"standard definition\" resolution of around 704×480 pixels (in the US/Canada) or 704×576 pix...
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67lg10
What is so revolutionary about Unicode?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgrdd8r" ], "text": [ "Computers only handle numbers. Before Unicode (and it's still a bit of a problem), you'd get a bunch of numbers that are supposed to be \"plain text\", but you also had to keep track of which system of numbers to letters applied. Windows alone had *dozens* of \"code pag...
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67oekt
Why have built-in webcam covers not surged in popularity yet?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgrx1gr", "dgrx2sz" ], "text": [ "I think offering a built-in cover would be perceived as an acknowledgement that the product is not entirely secure in its own right. It's like selling a house with bars on the windows. Makes you wonder what's wrong with the neighborhood.", "> Can anyo...
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67p72s
How do people "break into" user accounts on websites such as Reddit or Facebook within minutes?
Every so often, a skilled hacker does an AMA and someone always asks if the person can hack their account. Last time, the hacker did (and provided photographic proof) within 5 minutes. How is this done, and is there anything the Average Joe can do to prevent it from happening to them?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgs3vti" ], "text": [ "I see 3 possibilities: 1. It's a hoax. They didn't actually hack into the person's account. The person who requested that they hack into their account is actually the original poster or a friend of theirs. They already have the password to the account and are using it a...
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67q6ef
the difference between 3G and 4G and why AT & T's "5g" is considered fake.
Scrolled through the comments on that Reddit post on at & t's "5g" that's supposedly misleading, I saw some comparisons to when 4g was released and how it's essentially 3G with some minor tweaks. So what actually is 5g and when will we know it's here?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgsd9w4" ], "text": [ "3g and 4g are standards set forth by the ITU, 5g isn't a thing yet and won't be til sometime in 2018 or 2019. At & t use of the term \"5g evolution\" is just pointless marketing buzz words and is just an implementation of multi antenna 4g LTE MIMO, something already don...
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67r0gw
Why have cars in the past decade included more features for handsfree mobile phone use if talking on the phone while driving is dangerous?
Almost all new cars have Bluetooth connectivity and designated buttons on the steering wheel or console for accepting a call, even before Bluetooth car phones were installed in cars. Why do these features exist if talking on the phone while driving is dangerous?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgsj9hu" ], "text": [ "Talking while driving and *holding* a phone is dangerous. The added manual task of holding the phone is what Rob's attention from the manual task of driving. Talking over Bluetooth is realistically no more mentally taxing than talking to a passenger in the vehicle." ]...
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67ra55
Why do phone batteries die when they get cold?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgsnoln" ], "text": [ "Batteries produce electricity via a chemical reaction. Most chemical reactions are less efficient when it's cold. This happens to car batteries too - when it's freezing out it may be harder to start the car because the battery isn't producing enough juice." ], "scor...
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67rcc3
How do artists "get away" with samples in their music?
What made me think of this was $uicideboy$. In over 25+ of their songs they have samples from other musicians such as Three 6 Mafia, Future, Young Thug, etc. They've also sold such music for $ (Eternal Grey was even put out on cassette). Here's a guide the guys over at /r/g59 put together showing the songs with samples...
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgsm77r" ], "text": [ "They don't, necessarily. Many pay for the use of the sample. If they are part of a major label, their is much scrutiny before a release and often a large enough budget to pay for the sample. Smaller artists will often take the risk because they most likely won't be sued...
[ "url" ]
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67sk1o
How does Adblock remove ads from YouTube, Twitch, and the like. Also why haven't those sites prevented Adblock?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgswla3" ], "text": [ "Adblock apps have giant lists of where advertisements are located and when told to load them by the site.. don't. Sites cannot block them because they run on the user's computer and websites cannot touch them. At the most they could refuse to serve up content if ads are...
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67sxs2
Why are soap operas shot like video and not shot like film?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgt198y" ], "text": [ "A \"film look\", (most features are shot on digital high definition video these days, so not many are \"film\" anymore) takes more time and money to achieve. Careful positioning of lights and cameras, longer time to set up and shoot. Soap operas are more focused on quic...
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67sztn
why are game graphics at the beginning of a consoles life worse looking vs the end of a consoles life
Many games from the beginning of the Xbox 360, Xbox One, Wii U, PS3 and PS4 all looked pretty bad for their time but over time have gotten better looking all on the same hardware. Is this due to better PCs to make the content?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgt0tgx", "dgt3b1j", "dgt112g" ], "text": [ "It has less to do with the tools and more to do with experience. Simply put, by the time a console generation has reached it's end, developers have had a few years of trial and error to figure out what exactly they can do with the machine. ...
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67u0qg
Why can't we just install Windows on consoles (xbox scorpio etc.) If they're so powerful to run hardware intensive games?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgt95dk", "dgt97pg", "dgt976c" ], "text": [ "Windows is designed to run on standard PC hardware. This makes certain assumptions about the CPU, how it's connected to the rest of the system, what's provided by BIOS/UEFI, built-in interfaces for everything from keyboards to clocks and a ...
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[ "url" ]
67vatz
The glass broke off of my microwave, but the faraday cage is still intact, why is it, or is it not, still safe to use?
Technology
explainlikeimfive
{ "a_id": [ "dgth7tr", "dgth6au", "dgtvrrj", "dgthbri", "dgtp1m8", "dgtomq5", "dgtqs2x", "dgto89b" ], "text": [ "The glass in the microwave might have small strands built in for a second layer Faraday cage. It is hard to say if it is still safe to use. It is better to be on the...
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[ "url" ]