clearbox

See inside everything.

Short videos about how everyday tech works, from AI to the phone in your hand. Every video is free.

The Clearbox bear, a white polar bear with an orange muzzle, smiling.

Everything's a black box.

We make it clear. Open one.

Why do AI chats make up sources?

AI chats write the words most likely to come next. A citation is just more words, so it can look perfect and not exist. In 2023 a US court fined lawyers $5,000 for filing cases ChatGPT made up.

Source: court order

Is your phone listening to sell you ads?

One ad company said it could do that, and sold it as "Active Listening". The FTC says it never listened to anyone. It was reselling email lists.

Source: FTC

What does the store see when you tap to pay?

With Apple Pay, not your card number. Your phone sends a stand-in number made for that device, plus a one-time code for that purchase.

Source: Apple

Why does your phone die in the cold?

Phone batteries run on chemistry, and cold slows it down. The drop is temporary. Warm the phone up and the battery goes back to normal.

Source: Apple

A phone showing an AI chat that answers: Yes! It worked 87% of the time.

Latest video

Why AI is lying to you

Ask an AI chat a simple question and it might hand you a study that was never written. Here's why, and how to check one yourself.

Watch it on YouTube

Free, and it stays free.

Clearbox explains the tech you use every day. AI, your phone, your apps, the internet, and the tech behind money and health. Every fact gets checked against its source.

We're starting with short videos. Everything we explain stays free.

The Clearbox bear holding an ice cube up to its nose.