Blog
Guides and explainers to help you get more out of free, private, browser-based tools.
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Unix Timestamps Explained: Epochs, Time Zones and the Year 2038 Problem
Why computers count seconds since January 1, 1970, how a single integer sidesteps the entire mess of time zones and DST, the milliseconds-vs-seconds bug every developer hits, and what happens in January 2038.
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APR vs Interest Rate: What the Difference Costs You
The interest rate prices the loan; the APR prices the loan plus its fees. Here's how the two numbers are calculated, why the gap between them matters when comparing offers, and where APR can still mislead you.
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Percentage Change vs Percentage Points: The Difference That Changes Headlines
An interest rate rising from 4% to 5% is a 1 percentage-point rise — but a 25% increase. Here's how the two measures differ, why the base of a percentage matters, and the asymmetry that trips up investors.
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Cups to Grams: Why Baking Recipes Fail in Translation
A cup of flour can weigh anywhere from 110 to 155 grams depending on how you scoop. Here's why volume-to-weight conversions depend on the ingredient, the standard densities bakers rely on, and how to convert accurately.
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MB vs MiB: Why Your 1 TB Drive Shows Only 931 GB
Drive makers count storage in powers of 1,000; your operating system counts in powers of 1,024. Here's exactly where the 'missing' gigabytes go, what MiB and GiB mean, and how to convert between the two systems.
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What Is Base64 Encoding? (And Why It's Not Encryption)
Base64 turns binary data into plain text so it can travel through systems built for text. Here's how it works, why files get ~33% bigger, and the one misconception that causes real security mistakes.
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Cron Expressions Explained: How to Read Those Five Asterisks
Cron's five-field syntax looks cryptic but follows one simple pattern. Here's how to read and write schedules — and the gotchas that cause jobs to run far more (or less) often than you intended.
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WCAG Color Contrast Explained: What 4.5:1 Actually Means
Accessible text isn't a matter of taste — it's a ratio you can measure. Here's what the WCAG AA and AAA contrast levels mean, where they apply, and how to fix failing colors.
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Mortgage Amortization Explained: Where Your Payment Actually Goes
Your mortgage payment is the same every month, but the split between interest and principal shifts dramatically over time. Here's how amortization works — and why extra payments early are so powerful.
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Bcrypt vs MD5 vs SHA-256: Which Hash for Passwords, and Why It Matters
Not all hashes are for passwords. Here's the difference between fast hashes like MD5/SHA-256 and slow password hashes like bcrypt — and why using the wrong one gets accounts cracked.
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What Is a 10-Minute Email? A Guide to Disposable Inboxes
How temporary email works, when to use a disposable 10-minute inbox, and how it keeps your real address free of spam — no signup, right in your browser.
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How to Read a JWT (Safely) — What's Inside a JSON Web Token
A JWT looks like random gibberish, but it's just three Base64 chunks you can read yourself. Here's what each part means, what to check, and why you should never paste a live token into a random website.
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How to Schedule Meetings Across Time Zones Without the Headache
A practical guide to coordinating calls and meetings across time zones — handling daylight saving, the dateline, and the etiquette that keeps remote teams sane.
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How PDF Compression Works (and How to Shrink a PDF Safely)
Why PDFs get so big, what actually happens when you compress one, and how to reduce file size without wrecking quality — all in your browser.
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How to Unscramble Words for Scrabble and Words With Friends
A practical guide to unscrambling letters into high-scoring words — wildcards, prefixes and suffixes, two-letter words, and the strategy that wins games.
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Word Count Targets: Essays, Articles, Meta Tags and More
The word and character counts that actually matter — from college essays and blog posts to SEO title tags, meta descriptions and social media limits.
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The Pomodoro Technique: A Practical Guide to Focused Work
What the Pomodoro Technique is, why short focus sprints beat marathon sessions, and how to adapt the 25/5 rhythm to the way you actually work.
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ISO Week Numbers Explained: What Week Is It Right Now?
Why early January can be week 52, how the ISO 8601 week numbering actually works, and where week numbers quietly run business and software around the world.
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Counting Business Days: Deadlines, SLAs and Leave That Add Up
Why 'within 10 business days' trips people up, how to count working days correctly around weekends and holidays, and the edge cases that cause disputes.
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