| By Whitson Gordon Top 10 Tech Concepts You Always Wanted To Learn About (But Never Did)
10. Net Neutrality
9. The Windows Registry
8. Android Task Killers
7. SSL Encryption (Also Known as HTTPS)
6. What "4G" Really Means
5. The Difference Between Lossless and Lossy Music
4. 64-Bit vs. 32-Bit Operating Systems
3. Proper Windows Maintenance
2. Viruses, Trojans, Worms, and Other Malware
1. Wi-Fi and Networking
There are a lot of complicated tech subjects out there, but these are some of our favorites from over the years that we think more people should know about. You probably have your own opinions, so if you can think of a good explainer we didn't mention above, share it with us in the comments. You can contact Whitson Gordon, the author of this post, at whitson@lifehacker.com. You can also find him on Twitter, Facebook, and lurking around our #tips page. 
| October 1st, 2011 Top Stories |
We're busy people, and even the most savvy of us sometimes just don't have the time to learn about every odd and end in the tech world. Here are some of our favorite tech explainers on things you probably hear a lot about, but never really knew. 
It's a subject that only crops up from time to time—usually when new legislation is being pushed through or a tech company has done something really stupid—but it's an important thing to know about in today's age of ubiquitous internet. If you still aren't sure what net neutrality is—or even if you have a rough idea but aren't an expert—check out our 
Many Windows users know of the fabled registry, though fear it because of its cryptic (and powerful) nature. However, for those that understand how it works, it can be an invaluable tool. Check out our 
Android task killers were useful tools back in the very early days of Android, but nowadays they actually do more harm than good—yet cellphone manufacturers still recommend them to new users all the time. Read up on 
You've probably noticed that some sites use 
This new "4G" phenomenon that's sweeping the nation is full of hype, but not very much real info. No one really says what 4G is or how fast it actually is—they just tell you it's something you want. We've talked about 
You may or may not think a lot about the "bitrate" of your music, but the argument of whether bitrate actually matters has raged for quite a while. We break down 
If you've reinstalled Windows or Linux anytime recently, you were likely given the option to choose between 64-bit and 32-bit versions. In a nutshell, if you have 4GB of RAM or more, you'll want to go 64-bit—but if you want to know why this is the case, check out 
Windows maintenance myths have been around since what seems like the beginning of time, which can leave you very confused as to what you actually need to do to your computer to keep it running in tip top shape. We've mentioned a few of the 
Windows malware: it's a burden many Windows users have to shoulder, yet something most of them know nothing at all about. If that sounds like you (or someone you know), we recommend 
With the internet as ubiquitous as it is today, networking is an essential part of any computer user's setup, yet so many of us are completely lost when we actually have to configure the networks in our home. We've gone through everything you need to know about routers, Wi-Fi performance, and making the most our of your network in our 
