So today was DST, time to change our clocks, but I already knew for a long time, that advanced forms of electronics like most smart phones and modern computers would automatically adjust, and I wonder, how? I searched online and could only find questions like "will my iPhone adjust to DST?", or "all my schedule was delayed by an hour, why?" These are questions that I feel for people who never paid any attention to their devices before.
Some articles I read suggested that connectivity to networks such as the Internet will notify the device and that turning on Airplane Mode may prevent the automatic adjustment. Some articles I read asks questions like "Will my phone adjust to DST?" That got an answer like "yes, my wife's and my phone did. We use T-Mobil". Why is phone carriers involved? Without being able to have service, how does iPods and some iPads still adjust? What about offline computers? They all seem to do fine.
What I'm interested in is HOW? How does these devices know when to change and which direction to change? What are the processes that goes on to make the change happen?