Explainer 5G Explained: What It Is and Is It Worth It?
What is 5G? A plain-English guide to how 5G works, the difference between sub-6 and mmWave, real-world speeds, whether it's worth it, and how it compares to Wi-Fi.
Tech Explained
Tech Explained: Plain-English Guides to How Tech Works
Plain-English answers to how modern tech actually works — from LLMs and Wi-Fi 7 to USB-C and 2FA.
15 articles · updated 2026
Tech is full of acronyms designed to make you feel like you should already know them. You shouldn’t have to. This section explains how the technology behind your devices and apps actually works, in plain English, so you can make smarter decisions without a computer-science degree.
Every explainer here answers the question first, then builds up the detail — no wall of jargon, no assumed knowledge. These guides are the background reading that makes our buying guides make sense.
Understand AI
The AI boom has produced a lot of confident nonsense. Start with the fundamentals: What Is an LLM? Large Language Models Explained Simply explains what large language models really are (and why they sometimes make things up), What Is Generative AI? A Beginner's Guide for 2026 maps the whole field, and What Is a Token in AI? Why It Affects Cost & Limits explains the unit that drives every AI bill. Curious about AI art? How AI Image Generation Works (In Plain English) demystifies it.
Understand your devices and network
Buying a router, a cable or a security setup goes better when you know the basics. What Is Wi-Fi 7? The New Standard Explained and Wi-Fi 7 vs Wi-Fi 6E: What's Actually Different? explain the latest wireless standards, What Is USB-C? Cables, Speeds & Power Explained untangles the cable that’s on everything now, and What Is a VPN and Do You Really Need One? and What Is Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)? cover the two security tools everyone should understand.
Why this matters
A ten-minute read here can save you from an expensive mistake — buying the wrong cable, over-paying for a spec you’ll never use, or trusting a security feature that doesn’t do what you think. Browse every explainer below.
Explainers
15 
Explainer Cloud AI vs Local AI: Which Should You Use?
Cloud AI vs local AI compared: privacy, cost, speed, and setup. When to use ChatGPT in the cloud vs running models locally with Ollama or LM Studio.
Explainer How AI Image Generation Works (In Plain English)
How does AI image generation work? A plain-English guide to diffusion models, prompts, training data, and why AI still struggles with hands and text.
Explainer What Is a Token in AI? Why It Affects Cost & Limits
What is a token in AI? A plain-English guide to tokens vs words, context windows, and why tokens decide your AI costs, message limits, and memory.
Explainer What Is a VPN and Do You Really Need One?
What is a VPN? A plain-English guide to how VPNs work, the real benefits versus common myths, when you genuinely need one, and the limits marketing hides.
Explainer What Is an LLM? Large Language Models Explained Simply
What is an LLM? A plain-English guide to large language models: how training works, what parameters and tokens are, why they hallucinate, and real examples.
Explainer What Is Generative AI? A Beginner's Guide for 2026
What is generative AI? A 2026 beginner's guide to text, image, video, and audio generation, foundation models, real-world uses, and the key risks.
Explainer What Is HDR? TV and Monitor HDR Explained
What is HDR? A plain-English guide to how HDR works on TVs and monitors, the formats (HDR10, Dolby Vision), what actually matters, and why cheap HDR disappoints.
Explainer What Is NVMe? SSD Speeds Explained
What is NVMe? A plain-English guide to how NVMe SSDs work, NVMe vs SATA, PCIe generations and speeds, and when a faster drive actually makes a difference.
Explainer What Is Ray Tracing? Game Graphics Explained
What is ray tracing? A plain-English guide to how ray-traced lighting works in games, ray tracing vs rasterization, path tracing, the performance cost, and DLSS/FSR.
Explainer What Is Refresh Rate? 60Hz vs 120Hz vs 144Hz
What is refresh rate? A clear guide to Hz on TVs and monitors, 60Hz vs 120Hz vs 144Hz, how it differs from frame rate, and when a higher refresh rate is worth it.
Explainer What Is USB-C? Cables, Speeds & Power Explained
What is USB-C? A plain-English guide to the connector vs the standard, USB4 and Thunderbolt speeds, charging wattage, why cables differ, and the EU mandate.
Explainer What Is Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)?
What is two-factor authentication? A plain-English guide to 2FA: how SMS, authenticator apps and passkeys compare, why it matters, and how to set it up.
Explainer What Is Wi-Fi 7? The New Standard Explained
What is Wi-Fi 7? A plain-English guide to 320MHz channels, 4K-QAM, MLO and whether the new standard's speed and latency gains are worth upgrading for.
Explainer Wi-Fi 7 vs Wi-Fi 6E: What's Actually Different?
Wi-Fi 7 vs Wi-Fi 6E compared in plain English: the real differences in bands, channel width, MLO and latency, and honest advice on whether to upgrade.