Do you believe in these eight technology-related myths?

The world is moving and evolving fast, and as is technology. Even as technology helped make life easier for us, myths surrounding some of its usage has only grown with time.

How many times have our parents/elders told us not to use a gadget in a certain way for fear of destroying it? Here is a list of things you’ve likely been advised never to do. How many of them have you heard before?        

Myth #1

Incognito mode makes you invisible to the world

If you look at Google Chrome or any other web browser, there is always an ‘incognito mode’ that you can activate to guarantee more privacy. However, does it guarantee you complete invisibility on the Internet? The answer, sadly, is no.

All that incognito mode does is prevent browsing history from being recorded anywhere and delete cookies once the session is over. It is still possible for websites you open in incognito mode to track information about you. Your internet provider can also track your activity online.

This mode also does not protect the device from viruses and other malicious programs

Myth #2

Viruses do not affect Apple Macintosh computers

While Apple Macintosh computers are relatively safer from viruses than Windows-based machines, they are by no means immune to them. Apple machines offer more security because they are Unix-based and have several inbuilt security measures.    

Apple also has a number of additional security measures which makes hacking it a challenging affair.

But there are many Mac malware out there, including OSX/Leap, OSX/DNSChanger, OSX/RSPlug, OSX/Jahlav, OSX/MacSweeper, OSX/Krowi etc.

Myth #3

You should not charge a phone/computer until the battery is completely dead

So you see your laptop or mobile have zero per cent charge. But when you press the start button, the screen briefly lights up to say ‘charge your batteries.’ How is this possible? This is because irrespective of what the battery indicator say, it still has around 10% charge, which it used to show you the notification.   

Another popular myth is that waiting for the battery to become 0% before starting to charge will help it last longer. But exactly the opposite is true and it can damage your battery in the long run.

Myth #4

Constant use of cell phones may cause cancer

If you use mobile phones, you must have heard at least once that it could lead to cancer. But the United States National Cancer Institute states that ‘Radio frequency energy, unlike ionising radiation, does not cause DNA damage that can lead to cancer. The only consistently observed biological effect on humans is a slight retarding of tissue heating. In animal studies, it has not been found to cause cancer or to enhance the cancer-causing effects of known chemical carcinogens.’

Myth #5

Keeping magnets near a computer storage device will corrupt/delete its data

One has only TV and the movies to blame for the spread of this particular myth. There are several TV series and movies that show powerful electromagnetic force being used to wipe clean computer memories. However, rest easy because it is impossible to do in real life.

Every hard disk drive contains two powerful neodymium-iron-boron magnets that control the movements of the read/write heads. It would take a very, very powerful magnet to affect the data inside the hard disk drive. Even when a neodymium magnet is passed over a hard disk drive, it only renders the hard disk unusable leaving most of the data still intact.

Myth #6

Refreshing the desktop screen will make the computer work faster

How many of you have right-clicked on an empty area of your computer monitor and hit refresh in an attempt to make it work faster?

In reality, refreshing your computer will not make any difference to the machine’s speed.

Myth #7

Not removing the USB safely will erase the data

When you disconnect a USB device, it is always advised to click on ‘Safely Remove Hardware’ before disconnecting it. So it is only natural that people assumed it would be unsafe to do so otherwise.

Data will be corrupted only if a programme is being read from or written to the USB at the time of disconnection. Otherwise, your data will be perfectly safe.

Myth #8

High pixel count in a camera/mobile phone means better quality photos

Nowadays, new phones are launched on an almost daily basis and all of them boast of high pixel count cameras. However, a 12megapixel camera need not take as good pictures as a 5megapixel one. 

The number of megapixels alone is no guarantee of better photographic performance. It also depends on the size and material of the main camera lens, light sensor, image processing hardware and the software that ties it all together.

This article first appeared in Facts Catalogue.

Picture courtesy: Facts Catalgue.