Have you ever heard from someone that you should fully discharge your battery to prolong its life? Or use of mobile phones at gas stations can lead to a blast? These are some of the very common tech myths we commonly get to hear all the time. Technological myths can be very difficult to disprove, especially when technology is not constant. Here we have debunked few tech misconceptions to watch out for:
1. More the Megapixels, Better the Photographs
Belief: Biggest myth we’ve probably heard about photography is, higher the megapixels, better the clicks would be.
Truth: Actually, Megapixels just impact the detailing of pictures, not quality of pictures. Even a 6 MP camera can give great results. MP is just a factor in camera and ace photographs depend on the- size, material of camera lens, technology behind the sensors, focus power, image processor, and the most important aspect that how the camera is used. If it’s a small camera and you want to zoom into an image without having a zoom lens, then more megapixels may be beneficial. All these factors play into how the camera works so, always compare more than just megapixels. Don’t buy into the hype that more is always better and having huge number of megapixels in your camera will result in better photography.
Image Source: ideadigezt.com
2. Macs are Not Prone to Viruses
Belief: Apple Computers are possibly the only device, which are completely immune to viruses.
Truth: You might have heard this from your Mac holder friends that, “It’s Apple, it doesn’t get viruses”. Even the myth that Macs are virus free was spread by Apple itself through their ad campaigns, which they later had to change from “It doesn’t get PC viruses” to “It helps keep you safe.”. Though it’s true that Personal Computers are more prone to malware than Macs, but that’s mostly because:
- There are not lot of malware out there designed for Macs. Developers are commonly looking to reach the largest audience base i.e. people using Windows, and Apple computers are not a prime target, because of the less number of users. No computer is unaffected by viruses.
- A flashback to 2012 – Virus crisis faced by Apple which affected over 2,50,000 Macs. The reason Macs have a good track record is because hackers target the more widely used Windows PC’s.
- Attackers attack through types of malware as Mac rely less on OS vulnerabilities and more on the gullibility of the user. For instance, one form of malware cloaked itself as an official antivirus program by Apple with the name Mac Protector, Mac Defender, Apple Security Center and other titles. It included everything from installation, system scanning and even a prompt to register the product.
Image Source: phys.org
3. Charging Your Phone Overnight Harms Your Smartphones Battery
Belief: Plugging your phone in a charger overnight will make your battery’s life less.
Truth: For years, this myth has persisted but as a matter of fact, smartphones are built in a way that avert them from taking in more current than required, even after its fully charged. In real, they know when to take it easy. It’s all about cycle count, it refers to the number of full charges a phone can pact with before its battery is fully down. For example, if you drain your phone’s battery halfway & then recharge it with half-empty capacity, that takes up half cycle and eventually diminishes your battery power, it has nothing to do with overnight charging.
Image Source: yenisafak.com
4. When on Incognito Browser, you Become Anonymous
Belief: If you’re on Incognito mode and you believe that no one will be able to track you- you’re completely mistaken!
Truth: This private browsing mode is not as private as it depicts. The Incognito Browser suggests that it will not store your search history about which pages you have visited and it will not even store the cookies for the same. The primary intention is that you don’t get bombarded with advertisements when any marketer tracks you online. Most of us have been living under the assumption that we are safe against any spying, snooping or tracking, when working on this browser. And that just isn’t true.
Here are some ways where your privacy gets violated:
- Downloads- When you download anything, while in private browser mode, it will not eventually disappear even after you have closed this mode. People can still find them on your gadget. So, you should keep in mind what inappropriate content you’re downloading, although you’re doing it on private mode but you can still get caught!
- IP Address- When you work on Incognito Browser, you know your IP Address has been kept private, but the truth is it’s not hidden from your ISP, as it’s the one that connects you after all. Various sites you visit, while in private mode can still see your IP address. Even if they don’t have cookies to tell exactly who you are, but store records in case law enforcement can trace back to you if they need to.
- Flaws- It’s necessary to keep your software & drivers updated to close hole hackers. Because sometimes, these glitches can affect the private mode and don’t completely wipe your WebCache file, and because of that you can be tracked by someone.
5. Password-Protected WiFi Are Safe
Belief: As long as you have put a password to access WiFi, the connection is safe & secure from everybody.
Truth: There are no networks that are totally protected. WiFi environments comprise of two types of password-protection – Home network & public network. As long as your network has WPA or WPA2 encryption, it has plenty of protection.
While outside, password merely enables your entry into the hotspot and offers no invulnerability against eavesdropping. “WiFi signals are just radio waves” explained Kent Lawson, president and CEO of Private WiFi, a VPN (virtual private network) provider. Any Mac or PC, can be turned into just such a receiver with software readily downloaded from the Web. “Hackers can shoot ‘Evil Twin’ networks that look like the real ones & grab your password and led to compromising your security”.
These were some of the biggest tech myths we all have probably heard of. Although, these tech myths are meant to be broken. But the ultimate decision is yours, to what extent you believe it’s true or not. We leave it to you to encounter future tales of technology–whether they’re fact, fiction, or something in between.