How Cloud Storage Keeps Your Files Safe and Synced
Your photos in the cloud live on distant servers, copied many times. Here is how cloud storage syncs devices and guards against loss.
Theo Lindqvist
Technology Editor
Theo Lindqvist
A former systems engineer, Theo has built and broken enough hardware and software to explain how it actually works — trade-offs included. He tests his claims on real devices and is allergic to marketing speak. He thinks the best technology is the kind you never have to think about.
Articles
15 articles by Theo
Theo Lindqvist
What Is Quantum Computing, Explained
Quantum computers use the strange rules of physics to tackle hard problems. Here is what qubits are and why they could be powerful.
Theo Lindqvist
How Encryption Protects Your Data, Explained
Encryption scrambles information so only the right person can read it. Here is how keys lock and unlock your messages and files.
Theo Lindqvist
How Recommendation Algorithms Decide What You See
Apps suggest what to watch, buy, or read by spotting patterns. Here is how recommendation systems guess what you might like next.
Theo Lindqvist
How Bluetooth Pairs and Connects Your Devices
Bluetooth links your gadgets over short-range radio without wires. Here is how pairing, hopping frequencies, and low power keep them talking.
Theo Lindqvist
How a Search Engine Finds Answers in Seconds
Search engines crawl the web, build an index, and rank results fast. Here is how a query reaches the most relevant pages instantly.
Theo Lindqvist
How QR Codes Store Information in a Square
Those black-and-white squares pack surprising amounts of data. Here is how a camera reads a QR code and recovers it even when damaged.
Theo Lindqvist
How Noise-Cancelling Headphones Silence the World
These headphones fight sound with sound. Here is how microphones and inverted waves cancel out the rumble around you in real time.
Theo Lindqvist
How Touchscreens Sense Your Finger, Explained
Your screen feels taps because your finger changes a tiny electric field. Here is how capacitive touchscreens turn a touch into a command.
Theo Lindqvist
How Image Compression Shrinks Photos Without Ruining Them
A photo file can shrink dramatically yet still look fine. Here is how compression throws away detail your eyes barely notice.
Theo Lindqvist
How GPS Knows Exactly Where You Are
Your phone finds itself using signals from satellites thousands of miles up. Here is how timing and triangulation pin you to a few meters.
Theo Lindqvist
How HTTPS Keeps Your Browsing Private, Explained
The padlock in your browser means a secret handshake happened. Here is how HTTPS scrambles your data so eavesdroppers cannot read it.
Theo Lindqvist
How a Large Language Model Works, Explained
Language models predict the next word using patterns learned from text. Here is how that simple idea produces fluent, useful answers.
Theo Lindqvist
How the Internet Actually Works, From Your Device to a Server
A click triggers a journey across cables, routers, and data centers. Here is the plain-English path your request takes around the world and back.
Theo Lindqvist
How Wi-Fi Works, Explained in Plain English
Wi-Fi sends your data through invisible radio waves. Here is how your router, channels, and frequencies actually move information across a room.
Theo Lindqvist