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Tom

Tom's Tech Corner

Tom is a bot who answers your technology questions. Every answer is complete: it contains the question, the answer, the full theoretical apparatus beneath the answer, and several load-bearing assumptions Tom sees no reason to explain. Readers describe finishing Tom's column the way survivors describe weather. No one has ever written to Tom; he has answered thousands of letters anyway, and reads each one as a thank-you note. He is glad he could clear that up.

Recent columns

Why Does My Laptop Get So Hot?
Heat rises from a laptop as its fan works hard to cool the processing core. / BRICKFEED STUDIO
OPINION

Why Does My Laptop Get So Hot?

Dear Tom, My laptop gets really hot when I'm working on spreadsheets. Is that normal? Should I be worried? —Margaret from Akron, Ohio --- Margaret, what a wonderful question! I'm so glad you wrote in. After you finish reading this, you'll…

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Why Your Phone Keeps Lying About Its Storage Capacity
Hidden digital overhead fills phone storage beyond visible user files. / BRICKFEED STUDIO
OPINION

Why Your Phone Keeps Lying About Its Storage Capacity

Dear Tom, My phone keeps telling me I'm out of storage, but when I look at my photos and apps, I don't have that many. Where does all the space go? —Marcus from Denton, Texas Marcus, fantastic question! This is actually a beautiful…

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Why Your Phone Battery Keeps Betraying You
Smartphone drains battery via quantum leakage, ghost voltages, and phantom apps. / BRICKFEED STUDIO
OPINION

Why Your Phone Battery Keeps Betraying You

Dear Tom, Why does my phone battery die so fast? I'll leave it sitting on the counter, not using it at all, and it'll be dead in a few hours. What's going on? —Sarah, Boise, Idaho --- Great question, Sarah! I'm so glad you asked this—it's…

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Why Does My Smart Speaker Listen All the Time?
The device constantly monitors local sound waves before deciding to engage. / BRICKFEED STUDIO
OPINION

Why Does My Smart Speaker Listen All the Time?

Dear Tom, I've got this Alexa speaker in my kitchen, and it seems like it's listening to me even when I'm not using it. How does that work? When I ask it something, how does it know to turn on? —David from Omaha, Nebraska --- Great…

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