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Revolutionary diabetes detection via smartphone: A game-changer in healthcare

In a groundbreaking advancement, scientists from <a href="https://www.klick.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Klick Labs</a> have discovered a method that could revolutionise diabetes detection – using just a 10-second smartphone voice recording. No more travelling to clinics or waiting anxiously for blood test results. This new approach promises immediate, on-the-spot results, potentially transforming how we diagnose type 2 diabetes. The study, published in <a href="https://www.mcpdigitalhealth.org/article/S2949-7612(23)00073-1/fulltext" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mayo Clinic Proceedings: Digital Health</a>, involved 267 participants, including 192 non-diabetic and 75 type 2 diabetic individuals. Each participant recorded a specific phrase on their smartphone multiple times a day over two weeks, resulting in 18,465 recordings. These recordings, lasting between six and 10 seconds each, were meticulously analysed for 14 acoustic features, such as pitch and intensity. Remarkably, these features exhibited consistent differences between diabetic and non-diabetic individuals, differences too subtle for the human ear but detectable by sophisticated signal processing software. Building on this discovery, the scientists developed an AI-based program to analyse the voice recordings alongside patient data like age, sex, height and weight. The results were impressive: the program accurately identified type 2 diabetes in women 89% of the time and in men 86% of the time. These figures are competitive with traditional methods, where fasting blood glucose tests show 85% accuracy and other methods, like glycated haemoglobin and oral glucose tolerance tests, range between 91% and 92%. "This technology has the potential to remove barriers entirely," said Jaycee Kaufman, a research scientist at Klick Labs and the study's lead author. Traditional diabetes detection methods can be time-consuming, costly and inconvenient, but voice technology could change all that, providing a faster, more accessible solution. Looking ahead, the team plans to conduct further tests on a larger, more diverse population to refine and validate this innovative approach. If successful, this could mark a significant leap forward in diabetes management and overall healthcare, making early detection simpler and more accessible than ever before. Stay tuned as this exciting development unfolds, potentially bringing us closer to a future where managing and detecting diabetes is as simple as speaking into your smartphone. Image: Shutterstock

Body

6 amazing things you didn’t know your phone could do

Nobody ever bought a shiny brand new smartphone and then studiously read the manual! Maybe it’s just us but unfortunately it means we’ve missed out on the secret but amazing things your smartphone can do. You don't even need to download any apps to do these nifty tricks. Here are some of our favourite ones that we’re sure will impress next time you need them. Taking a screenshot A great trick if you want to share a hilarious text, picture or Facebook post with friends or family. iPhones – SImultaneously press (but not hold) the Home button and the Sleep/Wake button (top right of phone). You should hear a shutter click as well as see a white flash. The screenshot will be located on your Camera Roll in photos. Androids - Hold down the Power button and Volume -down button at the same time for a couple of seconds. Or hold down power button and home icon at the same time. If this doesn’t work, you can hold down the power button until the option to take a screen shot appears. Taking multiple photos at once A life-saver if you are taking pictures of wriggling kids or people who blink exactly when you take the picture (there’s always someone in the group isn’t there?). This little trick lets you take multiple pictures with a single click. iPhones – In the camera app, rather than tapping capture button to take photos, hold it down. Your camera will automatically take multiple picture (around 10 pictures a second) until you release the button. Androids - In the camera app, tap the gear icon and turn on “Burst Shot” settings. Return to your camera app and hold onto the capture button. Or go to camera, select mode, auto and click on burst shots. Change text size If the tiny text on the smartphone is giving you a headache, there’s an easily solution. You can change the settings so all text on your phone is large. iPhones - Go to Settings > General > Accessibility and turn on “Larger Text.” Androids - Go to Settings > Accessibility > Vision and tap font size and set it to Large. Read to you It really seems like technology can do anything, including programming your smartphone to read to you. iPhones - Go to Settings > General > Accessibility and turn on “Speak Selection.” You can even customise the voice that speaks to you choosing from a wide range of accent including Australian. To get your phone to speak to you, highlight text (double-tapping or tapping and holding on to it) and then tap Speak button in the pop-up menu. Turn off music automatically If you are one to listen to music or audiobooks as you drift off to sleep, you can use a timer to turn it off so it doesn’t drain your battery life. iPhones - Go to the Clock app and tap on "Timer," then "When Timer Ends." From here, scroll all the way down to the bottom of the screen and select "Stop Playing." Androids - Open the music player and go to Settings. Look for "Music auto off" and set it to however long you want the music to play. Search text messages Searching for messages is handy if you are looking for a specific text containing details like addresses, emails or dates. iPhones – When you open your Message app, scroll up and a search bar should pop up at the top of all your messages. Type in the phrase you are looking for. Androids – Open the Message app and then tap on the Menu. A few options will appear and click search. Image: Shutterstock

Technology

How a smartphone app may help boost memory recall

A new study from researchers at the University of Toronto has introduced a smartphone app that can reinforce memories of life events. The app, Hippocampus, is designed to benefit people with memory impairment by imitating the function of the Hippocampus as it helps consolidate memories, working by recording life events and replaying them to lock them in as memories. Our ability to remember life events declines with age, particularly with those with diseases like Alzheimer’s. According to the study, some people were able to successfully reinforce their memories through the app. Research found that people who used it for two weeks experienced a 56% increase in their ability to recall the details of events recorded with HippoCamera. People who used it for 70 consecutive days saw an 84% increase. No one wants to forget their life experiences, and according to the study lead author Dr Chris Martin, a cognitive neuroscientist at Florida State University, “You can better recall a specific moment from your recent past, you will have a stronger mental bridge between your present and past self.” So, start brain training and download Hippocampus to improve memory and recall. Image credit: Getty

Mind

3 easy ways to back up your photos on your phone and tablet

Do you have all your photos stored on your phone or tablet? Do you back them up? If the answer is no, then please back them up! There are too many sorry tales of people losing all their precious memories in the snap second technological devices decide to play up. Backing up your photos is also a great idea if you’re phone or tablet is running low on space. Here are three simple ways to do it. Directly transfer photos from your device to a computer. This is one of the easiest and most straightforward way to back-up photos. Connect your phone or tablet to your computer with the supplied dock connector cable. A window will automatically pop up asking if you want to “import” the photos to your computer. After they have been imported, you’ll be asked if you want to “delete” the images you’ve imported. If you press delete, the photos will be deleted from your smartphone or tablet. This is a fast way to free up space on your device but if you still want to keep photos on your phone, don’t click delete. Save your photos to a cloud system like <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dropbox</a> A cloud service lets you store information on a remote computer or server connected via the internet. It’s a handy platform that will ensure your photos are saved even if your device and computer decide to play up. You can also sync photos without physically plugging in your device. The free service Dropbox is one of the simplest versions around allowing you to upload photos directly from your tablet or phone. You will have to sign up for a Dropbox account before you are given 2GB of free storage. To automatically backup photos to Dropbox from your computer Once Dropbox is installed on your computer, you can turn on Camera Upload so photos are automatically uploaded to your Dropbox. Connect your device to your computer and go to Dropbox > Settings > Preferences and click the “Enable Dropbox camera import.” This will allow Dropbox to automatically import photos to your Dropbox account when your device is connected. To automatically backup photos to Dropbox from your device Dropbox can also automatically upload images straight from your device. You will have to download the Dropbox app. Go to the Dropbox app > Settings > Camera Upload > On. Make sure you click the option to only upload pictures when Wi-Fi is on so it won’t eat up your cellular data. Back up your photos to <a href="https://www.flickr.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Flickr</a> Another popular and easy-to-use photo sharing and cloud storage system is Flickr. It has the advantage over Dropbox because it offer 1TB (1,000GB) of free space. You can upload your photos and share them privately or publicly. Image: Getty Images

Technology

Mobile phone hoarding: e-waste not good news for the environment

What happened to your previous mobile phone after you upgraded or replaced it? Did it go in a drawer? A box in the garage, perhaps? Today marks International E Waste Day, with this year’s slogan, “Recycle it all, no matter how small!”, specifically targeting small devices with a high recycling value that are often hoarded for years before they become waste. It’s a timely reminder, as results from surveys conducted across Europe suggest that the roughly 5.3 billion mobiles and smartphones dropping out of use this year would reach a height of around 50,000 km if stacked flat and on top of each other. That’s well-and-truly over the average orbiting height of the International Space Station and about an eighth of the distance to the moon. “In 2022 alone, small EEE (Electrical and Electronic Equipment) items such as cell phones, electric toothbrushes, toasters and cameras produced worldwide will weigh an estimated total of 24.5 million tonnes – four times the weight of the Great Pyramid of Giza”, says Magdalena Charytanowicz of the WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) Forum, responsible for organising <a href="https://www.genevaenvironmentnetwork.org/events/international-e-waste-day-2022/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">International E Waste Day</a>. “And these small items make up a significant proportion of the 8% of all e-waste thrown into trash bins and eventually landfilled or incinerated.” With their valuable components of <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/technology/critical-minerals-mining-australia/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">gold, copper, silver, palladium and other materials</a>, mobile phones ranked fourth amongst small Electrical and Electronic Equipment (EEE) hoarded or unrecoverably discarded – that is put in draws, cupboards or garages – rather than repaired or recycled – or sent to landfill or for incineration. The surveys ran for four months from June 2022 and covered 8,775 households across Portugal, Netherlands, Italy, Romani, Slovenia and the UK and asked participants about common items such as phones, tablets, laptops, electric tools, hair dryers, toasters and other appliances. The top five hoarded small EEE products were (in order): small electronics and accessories (e.g., headphones, remotes), small equipment (e.g., clocks, irons), small IT equipment (e.g., hard drives, routers, keyboards, mice), mobile and smartphones, small food preparation appliances (e.g., toasters, grills). Italy hoarded the highest number of small EEE products, while Lebanon hoarded the least. You might recognise some of the reasons given, which included potential future use, plans to sell or give away, sentimental value, future value, use in a secondary residence or contains sensitive data. Others were also unsure how to dispose of the item or felt there was no incentive to recycle it, and some argued that they’d forgotten, didn’t have time or that the item didn’t take up very much space. This is a shame because such items, despite being small, pack a big punch in recyclability. <div class="newsletter-box"> <div id="wpcf7-f6-p218602-o1" class="wpcf7" dir="ltr" lang="en-US" role="form"> <form class="wpcf7-form mailchimp-ext-0.5.62 spai-bg-prepared init" action="/earth/e-waste-mobile-phone-bad-news-environment/#wpcf7-f6-p218602-o1" method="post" novalidate="novalidate" data-status="init"> <input class="wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-text referer-page" name="referer-page" type="hidden" value="https://cosmosmagazine.com/" data-value="https://cosmosmagazine.com/" aria-invalid="false" /> </form> </div> </div> “We focussed this year on small e-waste items because it is very easy for them to accumulate unused and unnoticed in households, or to be tossed into the ordinary garbage bin”, says Pascal Leroy, Director General of the WEEE Forum, who have organised International E Waste Day. “People tend not to realise that all these seemingly insignificant items have a lot of value, and together at a global level represent massive volumes.” “These devices offer many important resources that can be used in the production of new electronic devices or other equipment, such as wind turbines, electric car batteries or solar panels – all crucial for the green, digital transition to low-carbon societies,” says Charytanowicz. <h4>What can be done about e-waste?</h4> At the governmental level, there are a number of initiatives including legislation that are coming into effect or being tightened up in order to address this increasing problem. “The continuing growth in the production, consumption and disposal of electronic devices has huge environmental and climate impacts,” says Virginijus Sinkevičius, European Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries. “The European Commission is addressing those with proposals and measures throughout the whole product life-cycle, starting from design until collection and proper treatment when electronics become waste.” “Moreover, preventing waste and recovering important raw materials from e-waste is crucial to avoid putting more strain on the world’s resources. Only by establishing a <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/technology/can-a-circular-economy-eliminate-e-waste/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">circular economy</a> for electronics, the EU will continue to lead in the efforts to urgently address the fast-growing problem of e-waste.” There is also a role for more education and communication. Launched today by UNITAR, the UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), is the first self-paced e-waste<a href="https://www.uncclearn.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> online training course</a> open to anyone. A UNITAR certificate is available upon graduation of the roughly 1.5-hour course which aims to use scientific findings in a practical way for international training and capacity building,” says Nikhil Seth, UNITAR’s Executive Director. Finally, The WEEE Forum has been actively involved in collecting, de-polluting, recycling or preparing for re-use more than 30 million tonnes of WEEE and has also run communication campaigns for almost twenty years. “Providing collection boxes in supermarkets, pick up of small broken appliances upon delivery of new ones and offering PO Boxes to return small e-waste are just some of the initiatives introduced to encourage the return of these items,” says WEEE’s Leroy. At the personal level, all you have to do is quite your hoarding habits and recycle, instead!  <img id="cosmos-post-tracker" style="opacity: 0; height: 1px!important; width: 1px!important; border: 0!important; position: absolute!important; z-index: -1!important;" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=218602&title=Mobile+phone+hoarding%3A+e-waste+not+good+news+for+the+environment" width="1" height="1" />  <div id="contributors"> <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/earth/e-waste-mobile-phone-bad-news-environment/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">This article</a> was originally published on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cosmos Magazine</a> and was written by <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/contributor/clare-kenyon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Clare Kenyon</a>. Image: Getty Images </div>

Technology

COVID-19 virus-detecting mask can alert of exposure via your smartphone

Move over <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/covid/rise-of-rapid-antigen-testing/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">inaccurate RATs</a>. Get out of my nose and throat PCR swab tests. There’s a new method of COVID-19 detection and it’s wearable. A research team from Tongji University in China, has created a face mask that can detect COVID-19 (as well as other common respiratory viruses such as colds and influenza) and send an alert to your smartphone. The mask is highly sensitive, with the inbuilt sensor able to detect the virus <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/lets-clear-the-air-on-ventilation-cosmos-weekly-taster/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">in the air</a> after only ten minute’s exposure at extremely low concentrations – far less than produced by sneezing, coughing or talking. “Previous research has shown face mask wearing can reduce the risk of spreading and contracting the disease. So, we wanted to create a mask that can detect the presence of virus in the air and alert the wearer,” says Yin Fang, an author of the study and a material scientist at Shanghai Tongji University. <div class="newsletter-box"> <div id="wpcf7-f6-p214217-o1" class="wpcf7" dir="ltr" lang="en-US" role="form"> <form class="wpcf7-form mailchimp-ext-0.5.62 spai-bg-prepared init" action="/science/covid-19-detecting-mask-smartphone/#wpcf7-f6-p214217-o1" method="post" novalidate="novalidate" data-status="init"> <input class="wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-text referer-page" name="referer-page" type="hidden" value="https://cosmosmagazine.com/people/" data-value="https://cosmosmagazine.com/people/" aria-invalid="false" /> </form> </div> </div> The sensor on the mask has tiny synthetic molecules – called ‘aptamers’ – which are able to be tweaked to detect proteins unique to specific pathogens, such as SARS-Cov-2, H5N1 (colloquially known as ‘bird flu’) and H1N1 (‘swine flu’). Once the aptamer detects the virus, the sensor amplifies the signal via a specialised component known as an <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/344400852_Ion-Gated_Transistor_An_Enabler_for_Sensing_and_Computing_Integration" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ion-gate transistor</a> (which is highly sensitive and able to detect very low voltage signals) and sends an alert to the user’s phone. “Our mask would work really well in spaces with poor ventilation, such as elevators or enclosed rooms, where the <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/covid-ventilation-standards/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">risk of getting infected is high</a>,” Fang says. The device is also highly customisable and can be swiftly modified to detect new and emerging threats. This is not the first time <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/smart-masks-to-detect-covid-19/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">‘smart masks’ have been created</a> to detect COVID-19, but what sets these devices apart is their sensitivity and ‘tunability’ to different viruses. The team is working on reducing the detection time and increasing the sensitivity of their devices. In the future, they hope the technology could be expanded to further applications and wearables for other conditions such as cancers and heart diseases. “Currently, doctors have been relying heavily on their experiences in diagnosing and treating diseases. But with richer data collected by wearable devices, disease diagnosis and treatment can become more precise,” Fang says.  <img id="cosmos-post-tracker" style="opacity: 0; height: 1px!important; width: 1px!important; border: 0!important; position: absolute!important; z-index: -1!important;" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=214217&title=COVID-19+virus-detecting+mask+can+alert+of+exposure+via+your+smartphone" width="1" height="1" />  <div id="contributors"> <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/science/covid-19-detecting-mask-smartphone/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">This article</a> was originally published on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cosmos Magazine</a> and was written by <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/contributor/clare-kenyon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Clare Kenyon</a>. Clare Kenyon is a science journalist for Cosmos. An ex-high school teacher, she is currently wrangling the death throes of her PhD in astrophysics, has a Masters in astronomy and another in education. Clare also has diplomas in music and criminology and a graduate certificate of leadership and learning. Image: Getty Images </div>

Technology

News addiction, particularly on social media, can affect our mental health – but you knew that anyway, right?

Researchers suggest we question how much commercial media contributes to social media problems. Put it down. Don’t open it. Leave it alone. Walk away and no-one will get hurt. These are the likely thoughts of increasing numbers of social media users involved in the almost obsessive behaviour referred to colloquially as “Doomscrolling”. In an era of pandemic, climate crisis, failure of democracy, school shootings, war and family violence it seems our social media habits can lead some people to mental and physical health issues. A <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10410236.2022.2106086" target="_blank" rel="noopener">new paper in Health Communication </a> looked at what the researchers termed “problematic news consumption”. The researchers surveyed 1,100 adults about their connection to the 24-hour news world and followed up with questions about their mental and physical health. They found that 16.5% of respondents showed signs of “severely problematic” news consumption, where news stories dominate their waking thoughts, disrupt family time, distract them from work or school, and add to restlessness or an inability to sleep. “Witnessing these events unfold in the news can bring about a constant state of high alert in some people, kicking their surveillance motives into overdrive and making the world seem like a dark and dangerous place,” says Bryan McLaughlin, Associate Professor of Advertising at the College of Media and Communication at Texas Tech University in the US. <div class="newsletter-box"> <div id="wpcf7-f6-p203687-o1" class="wpcf7" dir="ltr" lang="en-US" role="form"> </div> </div> “For these individuals a vicious cycle can develop in which – rather than tuning out – they become drawn further in, obsessing over the news and checking for updates around the clock to alleviate their emotional distress. But it doesn’t help, and the more they check the news, the more it begins to interfere with other aspects of their lives.” McLaughlin and his colleagues, Dr Melissa Gotlieb and Dr Devin Mills, analysed data from an online survey of 1,100 US adults. People were asked about the extent to which they agreed with statements like: “I become so absorbed in the news that I forget the world around me”, “…my mind is frequently occupied with thoughts about the news”, “I find it difficult to stop reading or watching the news,” and “I often do not pay attention at school or work because I am reading or watching the news.” According to McLaughlin, the findings show a need for focused media literacy campaigns to help people develop a “healthier relationship” with the news. “We want people to remain engaged in the news,” he says. “Tuning out comes at the expense of an individual’s access to important information for their health and safety, and undermines the existence of an informed citizenry, which has implications for maintaining a healthy democracy.” In addition, the study also questions whether the news industry may be fuelling the problem. “The economic pressures facing outlets, coupled with technological advances and the 24- hour news cycle have encouraged journalists to focus on selecting ‘newsworthy’ stories that will grab news consumers’ attention,” says McLaughlin. “The results of our study emphasise that commercial pressures news media face are not just harmful to the goal of maintaining a healthy democracy, they also may be harmful to individuals’ health.” Limitations of this study include reliance on a data collected at one point in time, where the authors could not establish the exact relationship between problematic news consumption and mental and physical ill-being. <img id="cosmos-post-tracker" style="opacity: 0; height: 1px!important; width: 1px!important; border: 0!important; position: absolute!important; z-index: -1!important;" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=203687&title=News+addiction%2C+particularly+on+social+media%2C+can+affect+our+mental+health+%E2%80%93+but+you+knew+that+anyway%2C+right%3F" width="1" height="1" /> <div id="contributors"> <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/news-on-social-media-affects-health/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">This article</a> was originally published on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cosmos Magazine</a> and was written by <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/contributor/ian-mannix" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ian Mannix</a>. Ian Mannix is the assistant news editor at Cosmos. Image: Getty Images </div>

Technology

It’s 2022. Why do we still not have waterproof phones?

While manufacturers have successfully increased the water-repelling nature of smartphones, they are still far from “waterproof”. A water-resistant product can usually resist water penetration to some extent, but a waterproof product is (meant to be) totally impervious to water. Last week, Samsung Australia was <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/samsung-australia-to-pay-14m-penalty-for-misleading-water-resistance-claims" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fined A$14 million</a> by the Australian Federal Court over false representations in ads of the water resistance of its Galaxy phones. The tech giant admitted that submerging Galaxy phones in pool or sea water could corrode the charging ports and stop the phones from working, if charged while still wet. Similarly, in 2020, Apple was fined <a href="https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/apple-fined-12m-dollars-by-italy-over-iphone-water-resistance-claims/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">€10 million</a> (about A$15.3 million) in Italy for misleading claims about the water resistance of iPhones. It’s very common for phones to become damaged as a result of being dropped in water. In a 2018 survey in the US, <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/959492/us-top-common-smartphone-damage-cause/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">39%</a> of respondents said they’d dropped their phones in water. <a href="https://www.consumeraffairs.com/news/damaged-devices-a-fact-of-life-for-most-smartphone-users-100614.html">Other</a> <a href="https://www.consumeraffairs.com/news/damaged-devices-a-fact-of-life-for-most-smartphone-users-100614.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">surveys</a> have had similar results. So why is it in 2022 – a time where technological marvels surround us – we still don’t have waterproof phones? Waterproof vs water-resistant There’s a <a href="https://www.iec.ch/ip-ratings" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rating system</a> used to measure devices’ resistance against solids (such as dust) and liquids (namely water). It’s called the Ingress Protection (IP) rating. An IP rating will have two numbers. In a rating of IP68, the 6 refers to protection against solids on a scale of 0 (no protection) to 6 (high protection), and 8 refers to protection against water on a scale of 0 (no protection) to 9 (high protection). <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/471066/original/file-20220627-13-hyrp6k.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/471066/original/file-20220627-13-hyrp6k.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/471066/original/file-20220627-13-hyrp6k.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471066/original/file-20220627-13-hyrp6k.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471066/original/file-20220627-13-hyrp6k.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471066/original/file-20220627-13-hyrp6k.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471066/original/file-20220627-13-hyrp6k.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471066/original/file-20220627-13-hyrp6k.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="Chart showing International Electrotechnical Commission's IP Ratings Guide" /></a><figcaption>The International Electrotechnical Commission is the body behind the IP ratings guide. International Electrotechnical Commission</figcaption></figure> Interestingly, the benchmark for the water-resistance rating varies between manufacturers. For example, Samsung’s IP68-certified phones are <a href="https://www.samsung.com/global/galaxy/what-is/water-resistant/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">water-resistant</a> to a maximum depth of 1.5m in freshwater for up to 30 minutes, and the company cautions against beach or pool use. Some of <a href="https://support.apple.com/en-au/HT207043" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple’s iPhones</a> with an IP68 rating can be used at a maximum depth of 6m for up to 30 minutes. Yet both <a href="https://www.samsung.com/au/support/warranty/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Samsung</a> and <a href="https://support.apple.com/en-au/HT207043" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple</a> are unlikely to consider repairing your water-damaged phone under their warranties. Moreover, IP rating testing is done under <a href="https://discussions.apple.com/thread/251513569" target="_blank" rel="noopener">controlled</a> laboratory conditions. In real-life scenarios such as boating, swimming or snorkelling, factors including speed, movement, water pressure and alkalinity all vary. So, gauging a phone’s level of water resistance becomes complicated. How are phones made water-resistant? Making a phone water-resistant requires several components and techniques. Typically, the first <a href="https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/how-does-waterproofing-work-apple-iphone-7-samsung-galaxy-s7-sony-xperia/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">point of protection</a> is to form a physical barrier around all ingress (entry) points where dust or water could enter. These include the buttons and switches, speakers and microphone outlets, the camera, flash, screen, phone enclosure, USB port and SIM card tray. These points are <a href="https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?arnumber=8671469" target="_blank" rel="noopener">covered and sealed</a> using glue, adhesive strips and tapes, silicone seals, rubber rings, gaskets, plastic and metal meshes and water-resistant membranes. After this, a layer of ultra-thin polymer <a href="https://www.conformalcoating.co.uk/index.php/materials/nano-coatings/%22%22" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nanocoating</a> is applied to the phone’s circuit board to help repel water. Nevertheless, a phone’s water resistance will still <a href="https://www.phonearena.com/news/phone-not-waterproof-water-resistant-forever_id115587" target="_blank" rel="noopener">decrease</a> with time as components age and deteriorate. Apple <a href="https://support.apple.com/en-au/HT207043" target="_blank" rel="noopener">admits</a> water- and dust-resistance are not permanent features of its phones. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/471544/original/file-20220629-19-pektlc.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/471544/original/file-20220629-19-pektlc.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/471544/original/file-20220629-19-pektlc.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471544/original/file-20220629-19-pektlc.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471544/original/file-20220629-19-pektlc.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471544/original/file-20220629-19-pektlc.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471544/original/file-20220629-19-pektlc.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471544/original/file-20220629-19-pektlc.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="Phone gets flushed in a toilet bowl" /></a><figcaption>Many people drop their phones down the toilet – be careful! Shutterstock</figcaption></figure> Cameras are not entirely impervious to water, but some can tolerate submersion a lot better than smartphones. Often that’s because they’re relatively simpler devices. A smartphone has much more functionality, which means internal components are more sensitive, fragile, and must be built into a smaller casing. All of these factors make it doubly difficult to afford phones a similar level of water resistance. Adding water resistance to phones also <a href="https://inshorts.com/en/news/waterproof-phones-would-cost-2030-more-xiaomi-1466431118612" target="_blank" rel="noopener">increases their price</a> for consumers (by 20% to 30%, according to Xiaomi’s co-founder). This is a major consideration for manufacturers – especially since even a small crack can render any waterproofing void. Keeping devices dry Apart from nanocoating on the internal circuit boards, applying <a href="https://www.techradar.com/au/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/why-aren-t-all-our-smartphones-waterproof-right-now-1327692" target="_blank" rel="noopener">water-repellent coating</a> to the exterior of a phone could boost protection. <a href="https://www.p2i.com/solutions/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Some</a> <a href="https://www.hzo.com/solutions/protection-capabilities/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">companies</a> are working on this technology for manufacturers. Future phones <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S003039922031327X" target="_blank" rel="noopener">might also have</a> circuitry that’s fabricated directly onto (waterproof) silicone material using laser writing techniques, and further coated with water-repellant technologies. For now, however, there’s no such thing as a waterproof phone. If your phone does find itself at the bottom of a pool or toilet and isn’t turning on, make sure you take the best steps to ensure it dries out properly (and isn’t further damaged). You can also buy a waterproof case or dry pouch if you want to completely waterproof your phone for water activities.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/185775/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ritesh-chugh-162770" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ritesh Chugh</a>, Associate Professor - Information and Communications Technology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/cquniversity-australia-2140" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CQUniversity Australia</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/its-2022-why-do-we-still-not-have-waterproof-phones-185775" target="_blank" rel="noopener">original article</a>. Image: Getty Images

Technology

Buy now, pay later: Apple will now lend you money to keep you spending and expand its empire

Apple has joined the thriving “buy now, pay later” industry, with a customised service called <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/video/2022/06/06/apple-announces-buy-now-pay-later-program-called-apple-pay-later.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple Pay Later</a>. The service was announced earlier this week at the 2022 Worldwide Developers Conference, and will initially be launched in the United States later <a href="https://www.macrumors.com/2022/06/07/apple-pay-later-purchases-installment-plan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">this year</a>. Pay Later will be built into the Apple Wallet and eligible for use on any purchase made through Apple Pay. Customers will be able to split the cost of a purchase into four equal payments, with zero interest and fees, spread over a period of <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/jun/06/apple-redesigns-the-iphone-lock-screen-in-ios-16-at-wwdc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">four months</a>. To qualify, however, Apple will first do a <a href="https://www.zdnet.com/finance/banking/wwdc-2022-buy-now-pay-later-with-apples-new-wallet-feature/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">soft credit check</a> on users wanting to use the service. The technology behemoth <a href="https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2022/06/apple-unveils-new-ways-to-share-and-communicate-in-ios-16/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claims</a> it has designed the feature with “users’ financial health in mind”. It’s likely Apple is trying to consolidate its foothold in the world of consumer finance, and increase its profitability. And consumers should be aware of the risks of using such a service. Apple: the consumer darling With the launch of Pay Later, Apple will be competing with many other similar fin-tech companies including PayPal, Block, Klarna and AfterPay – some of which saw their share prices <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-07-13/apple-goldman-plan-buy-now-pay-later-service-to-rival-paypal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fall</a> following Apple’s announcement. Apple will benefit from its huge market and brand power, with the capability to attract millions to its products and services. And with an acute focus on customer experience, Apple has managed to foster a community of evangelists. There’s no doubt the company is a <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinemoorman/2018/01/12/why-apple-is-still-a-great-marketer-and-what-you-can-learn/?sh=55e3c32c15bd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">consumer darling</a>. Moreover, Apple has established an ever-growing ecosystem in which users are encouraged to tap into Apple products and services as much, and as often, as possible – such as by making payments through their iPhone instead of a bank card. The tech giant provides ways to integrate once-separate computing capabilities into a phone or wristwatch – while keeping the <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinemoorman/2018/01/12/why-apple-is-still-a-great-marketer-and-what-you-can-learn/?sh=7c61018615bd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">consumer’s experience</a> in focus. Pay Later enhances this customer-centric experience further. It’s one more way users can integrate the tools they need within a single ecosystem. What’s in it for Apple? Apple stands to make financial gains through Pay Later, thereby adding to its bottom line. Currently its reach in the retail world is evident, with iPhone-based payment services <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-07-13/apple-goldman-plan-buy-now-pay-later-service-to-rival-paypal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">accepted by 85% of US retailers</a>. One 2021 survey found that about 26% of <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/1275393/australia-share-of-consumers-using-bnpl-by-purchase-category/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">regular online shoppers</a> in Australia used buy now, pay later services. As Apple’s customers increasingly start to use the Pay Later service, it will gain from merchant fees. These are fees which retailers pay Apple in exchange for being able to offer customers Apple Pay. In addition, Apple will also gain valuable insight into consumers’ purchase behaviours, which will allow the company to predict future consumption and spending behaviour. To deliver the buy now, pay later service, Apple has <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-07-13/apple-goldman-plan-buy-now-pay-later-service-to-rival-paypal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">joined forces with Goldman Sachs</a>, who will finance the loans. This relationship has been in place since 2019, with Goldman Sachs also acting as a partner for the Apple credit card (although Pay Later is not tied to the Apple credit card). This strategic partnership has helped Apple gain strong footing in the world of consumer finance. Challenges for consumers The reality is that the world of <a href="https://www.holmanwebb.com.au/blog/655/buy-now-pay-later-bnpl-update-how-to-seek-and-keep-code-compliance-accreditation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">unregulated finance</a>, which includes buy now, pay later, does not bode well <a href="https://ndh.org.au/debt-problems/buy-now-pay-later/risks-of-using-buy-now-pay-later/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">for all customers</a>. Younger <a href="https://www.emarketer.com/content/almost-75-of-bnpl-users-us-gen-z-millennials" target="_blank" rel="noopener">demographics</a> (such as Gen Z and Millenials) and low-income <a href="https://thefintechtimes.com/one-in-four-bnpl-users-are-financially-vulnerable/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">households</a> can be <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/08/07/why-millennials-and-gen-zs-are-jumping-on-the-buy-now-pay-later-trend.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">more vulnerable</a> to the risks associated with using these services – and can rack up debt as a result. Purchases through buy now, pay later schemes may also be driven by a desire to own the latest <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/12/16/chinas-buy-now-pay-later-market-to-grow-challenges-ahead-experts.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gadgets and luxury goods</a> – a message pushed onto consumers through slick marketing. They can condition consumers to make purchases without feeling the pain of parting with cold, hard cash. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/467674/original/file-20220608-24-ict1mh.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/467674/original/file-20220608-24-ict1mh.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/467674/original/file-20220608-24-ict1mh.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/467674/original/file-20220608-24-ict1mh.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/467674/original/file-20220608-24-ict1mh.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/467674/original/file-20220608-24-ict1mh.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/467674/original/file-20220608-24-ict1mh.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/467674/original/file-20220608-24-ict1mh.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="An indoor shopping arcade is lined with luxury stores on either side" /></a><figcaption>Buy now, pay later schemes can give consumers the satisfaction of buying expensive products – without feeling like they’re splitting from cold, hard cash. Shutterstock</figcaption></figure> From a consumer psychology perspective, these services encourages immediate gratification and put younger people on the consumption treadmill. In other words, they may continually spend more money on purchases than they can actually afford. Missing payments on Pay Later would negatively impact an individual’s <a href="https://www.zdnet.com/finance/banking/wwdc-2022-buy-now-pay-later-with-apples-new-wallet-feature/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">credit rating</a>, which can then have adverse outcomes such as <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/select/side-effects-of-bad-credit/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">not qualifying</a> for traditional loans or credit cards. A focus on consumerist behaviour can also trigger an “<a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/the-psychology-deciding/202201/if-i-own-it-it-must-be-good-what-is-the-ownership-effect" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ownership effect</a>”. This is when people become attached to their purchases and are unlikely to return them, even if they can’t afford them. Apple’s technology-driven and consumer-centric marketing gives it an edge over other buy now, pay later schemes. It claims the service is designed with consumers’ financial health in mind. But as is the case with any of these services, consumers ought to be aware of the risks and manage them carefully. <img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/184550/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/rajat-roy-1227884" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rajat Roy</a>, Associate Professor, Bond Business School, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/bond-university-863" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bond University</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/buy-now-pay-later-apple-will-now-lend-you-money-to-keep-you-spending-and-expand-its-empire-184550" target="_blank" rel="noopener">original article</a>. Image: Getty Images

Technology

Can your mobile phone get a virus?

With nearly <a href="https://www.bankmycell.com/blog/how-many-phones-are-in-the-world" target="_blank" rel="noopener">84%</a> of the world’s population now owning a smartphone, and our dependence on them growing all the time, these devices have become an attractive avenue for scammers. Last year, cyber security company Kaspersky detected nearly <a href="https://securelist.com/mobile-malware-evolution-2021/105876/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">3.5 million</a> malicious attacks on mobile phone users. The spam messages we get on our phones via text message or email will often contain links to viruses, which are a type of malicious software (malware). There’s a decent chance that at some point you’ve installed <a href="https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?arnumber=6138859" target="_blank" rel="noopener">malware</a> that infected your phone and worked (without you noticing) in the background. According to a global report commissioned by private company Zimperium, more than <a href="https://www.zimperium.com/global-mobile-threat-report/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one-fifth</a> of mobile devices have encountered malware. And four in ten mobiles worldwide are <a href="https://blog.checkpoint.com/2020/08/06/achilles-small-chip-big-peril/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">vulnerable</a> to cyber attacks. But how do you know if your phone has been targeted? And what can you do? How does a phone get infected? Like personal computers, phones can be compromised by malware. For example, the Hummingbad virus infected <a href="https://www.wired.co.uk/article/hummingbad-malware-10-million-android-devices" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ten million</a> Android devices within a few months of its creation in 2016, and put as many as <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/jul/06/what-is-hummingbad-malware-android-devices-checkpoint" target="_blank" rel="noopener">85 million</a> devices at risk. Typically, a phone virus works the same way as a computer virus: a malicious code infects your device, replicates itself and spreads to other devices by auto-messaging others in your contact list or auto-forwarding itself as an email. A virus can limit your phone’s functionality, send your personal information to hackers, send your contacts spam messages linking to malware, and even allow the virus’s operator to “spy” on you by capturing your screen and keyboard inputs, and tracking your geographical location. In Australia, Scamwatch received <a href="https://www.scamwatch.gov.au/news-alerts/missed-delivery-call-or-voicemail-flubot-scams" target="_blank" rel="noopener">16,000 reports</a> of the Flubot virus over just eight weeks in 2021. This <a href="https://suretyit.com.au/blog/what-is-the-flubot-virus/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">virus</a> sends text messages to Android and iPhone users with links to malware. Clicking on the links can lead to a malicious app being downloaded on your phone, giving scammers access to your personal information. Flubot scammers regularly change their <a href="https://www.bitdefender.com/blog/labs/new-flubot-and-teabot-global-malware-campaigns-discovered" target="_blank" rel="noopener">target countries</a>. According to cyber security firm Bitdefender, FluBot operators targeted Australia, Germany, Poland, Spain, Austria and other European countries between December 1 2021 and January 2 of this year. Is either Apple or Android more secure? While Apple devices are generally considered more secure than Android, and <a href="https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?arnumber=6637558" target="_blank" rel="noopener">less prone</a> to virus attacks, iPhone users who “jailbreak” or modify their phone open themselves up to security vulnerabilities. Similarly, Android users who install apps from outside the Google Play store increase their risk of installing malware. It’s recommended all phone users stay on guard, as both Apple and Android are <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/zakdoffman/2021/03/16/iphone-12-pro-max-and-iphone-13-not-more-secure-than-google-and-samsung-android-warns-cyber-billionaire/?sh=596442d623f8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">vulnerable</a> to security risks. That said, phones are generally better protected against viruses than personal computers. This is because software is usually installed through authorised app stores that vet each app (although some malicious apps can occasionally slip through <a href="https://blog.pradeo.com/spyware-facestealer-google-play" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the cracks</a>). Also, in comparison to computers, phones are more secure as the apps are usually “<a href="https://source.android.com/security/app-sandbox" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sandboxed</a>” in their own isolated environment – unable to access or interfere with other apps. This reduces the risk of infection or cross contamination from malware. However, no device is entirely immune. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/459712/original/file-20220426-12-4550kz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/459712/original/file-20220426-12-4550kz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/459712/original/file-20220426-12-4550kz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/459712/original/file-20220426-12-4550kz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/459712/original/file-20220426-12-4550kz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/459712/original/file-20220426-12-4550kz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/459712/original/file-20220426-12-4550kz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/459712/original/file-20220426-12-4550kz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="A smartphone with a virus alert warning is held up by a hand in front of a dark background." /></a><figcaption>Apple devices are generally considered more secure against malware than Android devices, but they’re still at risk. Pixabay/Pexels.com (edited), <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CC BY</a></figcaption></figure> Watch out for the signs While it’s not always easy to tell whether your phone is infected, it will exhibit some abnormal behaviours if it is. Some signs to watch out for include: <ul> <li> poor performance, such as apps taking longer than usual to open, or crashing randomly </li> <li> excessive battery drain (due to the malware constantly working in the background) </li> <li> increased mobile data consumption </li> <li> unexplained billing charges (which may include increased data usage charges as a result of the malware chewing up your data) </li> <li> unusual pop-ups, and </li> <li> the device overheating unexpectedly. </li> </ul> If you do suspect a virus has infected your device, there are some steps you can take. First, to prevent further damage you’ll need to remove the malware. Here are some simple troubleshooting steps: <ol> <li> Use a reliable antivirus app to scan your phone for infections. Some reputable vendors offering paid and free protection services include <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/avast-security-privacy/id1276551855" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Avast</a>, <a href="https://www.avg.com/en-au/antivirus-for-android#pc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AVG</a>, <a href="https://www.bitdefender.com/solutions/mobile-security-android.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bitdefender</a>, <a href="https://www.mcafee.com/en-us/antivirus/mobile.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">McAfee</a> or <a href="https://us.norton.com/products/mobile-security-for-android" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Norton</a>. </li> <li> Clear your phone’s storage and cache (in Android devices), or browsing history and website data (in Apple devices). </li> <li> Restart your iPhone, or restart your Android phone to <a href="https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/how-to-turn-safe-mode-on-and-off-in-android/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">go into safe mode</a> – which is a feature on Android that prevents third-party apps from operating for as long as it’s enabled. </li> <li> Delete any suspicious or unfamiliar apps from your downloaded apps list and, if you’re an Android user, turn safe mode off once the apps are deleted. </li> </ol> As a last resort, you can back up all your data and perform a factory reset on your phone. Resetting a phone to its original settings will eliminate any malware. Protecting your phone from infection Now you’ve fixed your phone, it’s important to safeguard it against future viruses and other security risks. The mobile security apps mentioned above will help with this. But you can also: <ul> <li> avoid clicking unusual pop-ups, or links in unusual text messages, social media posts or emails </li> <li> only install apps from authorised app stores, such as Google Play or Apple’s App Store </li> <li> avoid jailbreaking or modifying your phone </li> <li> check app permissions before installing, so you’re aware of what the app will access (rather than blindly trusting it) </li> <li> back up your data regularly, and </li> <li> keep your phone software updated to the latest version (which will have the latest security patches). </li> </ul> Continually monitor your phone for suspicious activity and trust your gut instincts. If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/181720/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nvIXGeB1WgE?wmode=transparent&start=38" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption>Google’s tips on how to spot malware.</figcaption></figure> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ritesh-chugh-162770" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ritesh Chugh</a>, Associate Professor - Information and Communications Technology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/cquniversity-australia-2140" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CQUniversity Australia</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/can-your-mobile-phone-get-a-virus-yes-and-youll-have-to-look-carefully-to-see-the-signs-181720" target="_blank" rel="noopener">original article</a>. Image: Getty Images

Technology

18 hidden voice memos features you never knew about

Make the most of your voice memo app Your iPhone is packed with productivity tools, but you don’t have to download a dozen apps for your device to become a true time-saver. Apple’s voice memo app alone can add to your productivity, help you keep track of your appointments and reminders, and act as your personal assistant. Use Voice Memos to record conversations, meetings, lectures, and the great idea you had while driving or walking the dog. You can even record a phone call on your iPhone by using the Voice Memos app. The app is easy to locate – you’ll find it in your Utilities folder, though you can move it wherever you’d like, or ask Siri to open it for you. It’s easy to use. It’s available on iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch and Apple computers. And best of all, it’s free. There’s no time limit for recordings (it’s dependent on the internal storage capacity of your device), so you can likely record that entire lecture without worry. Scroll down for tips that take you beyond voice memo recording and to all of the truly cool things you can do with a voice memo app. Record a voice memo There are a whole host of reasons you might make good use of a voice memo app. Maybe your boss loves to have walking meetings, but you’re not quite skilled at walking, note-taking… and not running into a tree. Maybe you’re meeting colleagues for a brainstorming dinner and want to keep track of everyone’s ideas. Or maybe you need a quick way to take down a brilliant idea – for a business, a birthday gift, you name it – during your commute. It’s incredibly easy to use your iPhone’s Voice Memos app. (Just be sure to ask the other person’s permission first!) Here’s how: Open the Voice Memos app. To start recording, tap the red record button. Boom! You’re recording your conversation. Pause a recording While you may often record straight through without breaks, there are times when you may want to pause a recording. For instance, during an important lunch meeting with colleagues, you really don’t need to keep track of your coworkers ordering coffee at the care. This iPhone trick will also be helpful during conversations with long pauses or when you’re put on hold. Here’s how to do it: While recording, tap or swipe up on the recording field at the bottom of your screen to bring it into full-screen view. Tap the pause symbol to temporarily stop recording. Tap Resume to continue. Stop a recording When you’re done recording your conversation, remember to actually stop the recording or you’ll be stuck with a really long voice memo that eats into your storage space. Here’s how to do it: <ul> <li>In partial-screen view: Hit the red square.</li> <li>In full-screen view: Tap the pause button, then hit the word Done.</li> </ul> Delete a recording Not every recording is worth saving. If you decide you don’t need yours, it’s easy to delete. Here’s how to do that: In your All Recordings list, find the voice memo you’d like to delete. Select the recording to expand the field. Tap the trash can. Recover a recently deleted recording If you delete the wrong file, don’t panic. Just as you can recover deleted photos, you can recover recently deleted recordings. Just follow the steps below. Navigate to the main Voice Memos screen. Tap Recently Deleted. Tap the recording you’d like to restore. Select Recover to restore your recording. To recover multiple deleted voice memos, select Edit in the upper-right corner. Tap all of the recordings you’d like to restore, then select Recover All from the lower left-hand corner. One thing to bear in mind: you only have about 30 days to recover deleted files. Save a recording in the Voice Memos app If you’re satisfied with your recording, you’ll want to save it. Thankfully, a voice memo on iPhone saves automatically. As soon as you stop a recording, it’ll save in the Voice Memos app and appear in your All Recordings list. Yep, it’s actually as simple as that. Rename your recording Be sure to give your file a new name so you’ll be able to find it easily in the future. Here’s how to do that: Tap the recording. Tap on the name. Type your new file name. Save a recording to an iCloud folder While Voice Memos automatically saves a recording, you may want to save it to iCloud for extra security – or so you can access it from any device. By following the steps below, you’ll ensure your voice memo remains in the app and in your chosen folder. Tap the recording you want to move. Look for a circle with three dots in it. Tap it. Select Save to Files from the list below. Tap the folder you’d like to add it to. To create a new iCloud folder, tap the folder icon in the top right corner. Organise recordings in Voice Memos folders If you use the voice memo app often, you may want to organise your recordings to make them easier to find, just as you would organise your apps for easier access. You can group them in folders, which you’ll find on the main Voice Memos screen. Here’s how to move a voice memo to a folder: Tap the recording you want to move. Tap the circle with three dots in it (to the right of the recording’s name). Select Move to Folder from the list below. Tap on the folder you want your recording to appear in. To create a new folder, tap the folder icon in the lower right-hand corner. Give the folder a name, then select Save. Select that folder to save your recording there. Crop a recording There are many reasons why you might want to crop your new file. Musicians often use the Voice Memos app and then crop out the bits they don’t want to share. One thing to keep in mind: While the crop icon looks the same as in Voice Memos as it does in other apps, the function is actually called Trim. Navigate to your All Recordings list. Tap the voice memo you want to crop. Tap the button to the right of your recording that looks like three small dots in a circle. Select the Edit Recording option. Tap the crop tool at the top right of the file. Drag the yellow trim handles until the section you want to keep is highlighted in yellow and the section you want to crop is in white. Be sure to check that you’re keeping the part you want. Tap the play button to listen. Click the Trim button to crop everything except the section highlighted in yellow. Tap save and then Done, and you’re good to go. You can also delete an entire portion of your recording. With the section selected (it’ll be yellow), tap the Delete button. Remember, Trim removes everything except the yellow segment, while Delete removes the yellow segment. Replace sections of a recording If you mumbled or coughed in the middle of an important voice memo, fear not! It’s really easy to record over the bits you don’t like. Go to your All Recordings list. Tap the recording you want to fix. Tap the button to the right of your recording that looks like three small dots in a circle. Select Edit Recording. Move your finger over the waveform (the lines that visually represent your recording) until you’re in the section of your recording you want to replace. Tap the red Replace button to start recording. The waveform will turn red while you record. Tap the pause button when you’re done. Check your recording by hitting the play button. If you’re satisfied, tap Done to save your changes. The great news: You can do this in as many places as you like to make sure you’re happy with the entire recording. Speed up or slow down a recording If a fast or slow talker is making your voice memo sound weird, or if you need to speed up or slow down a section of music, you can do that easily with the voice memo app. Navigate to your All Recordings list. Tap the audio file you want to speed up or slow down. You’ll see an icon in the bottom left corner that looks like a synthesizer, or three lines with buttons. Tap the icon. Under Playback Speed, move the horizontal slider to the left (toward the tortoise icon) to slow down the playback speed of your recording. Move it to the right (toward the hare) to speed up your recording. Tap the X at the top right of the box to close the screen. Press play on your recording to test the new speed. If you’re not happy with the way it sounds, return to the Playback Speed function and select the blue Reset option. When you’re happy with the recording, tap the X to close the screen again. Automatically skip silences in a recording Unlike in real life, it’s really easy to remove awkward silences from recordings in your Voice Memos app. Tap the audio file you want to edit. Tap the icon in the lower-left corner that looks like a synthesiser (three stacked lines, each with a knob). Toggle on the Skip Silence button. Tap the X icon. Tap the play button to listen to the recording and see if you like the way it sounds. Enhance a recording While writing this article, I was typing in the background. I also coughed quite a few times, which didn’t sound amazing on my recording. If you have street noises or other background sounds on your voice memo or just want to create a more professional recording, you can easily enhance it, just as I did. Tap the audio file you want to edit. Tap the icon in the lower-left corner that looks like a synthesiser (three stacked lines, each with a knob). Toggle on the Enhance Recording button. Tap the X icon. Tap the play button to listen to the recording and see if you like the way it sounds. Duplicate a recording Before you edit any recording, you probably should make a backup. That way, if you end up hating your edits, you always have a fresh copy of the original. It’s also helpful if you want to compare the original with the edits. Go to your All Recordings list. Tap the recording you want to duplicate. Tap the button to the right of your recording that looks like three small dots inside a circle. Select Duplicate from the list. The copy of your recording will appear directly below the original with the word “copy” added to the file name. Tap the file to change the file name. Copy a recording I like to keep copies of all my important files in several places. If a file becomes corrupted, I can head to my backup and work from there. Here’s how to copy a recording in your iPhone Voice Memos app. Go to your All Recordings list. Tap the recording you want to copy. Tap the button to the right of your recording that looks like three small dots in a circle. Select Copy from the list. From there, you can paste the voice memo into an email or text to send to yourself (or someone else) as a backup. Share a recording There are many reasons why you might want to share your recording. Maybe your colleagues want a copy of that daylong meeting you recorded or you’re sending your audio notes to someone for transcription. The Voice Memos app makes sharing your file super simple; just follow the steps below. Navigate to your All Recordings list. Tap the file you want to share. Tap the button to the right of your recording that looks like three small dots in a circle. Select Share from the options below. Select how you’d like to share this file, such as via email, text, or AirDrop. Record a phone call Maybe you’re speaking with a lawyer and want to catch every last detail. Or maybe you’re interviewing someone. Whatever your reason, it’s helpful to know how to record a phone conversation. Apple doesn’t make that easy – you can’t record a call in Voice Memos while you’re on your phone. But there’s a workaround: Use two devices. Open the Voice Memos app on your iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, or Mac computer. Start recording by tapping the red record button. Make your phone call from a different phone. Be sure to place the call on speaker so Voice Memos captures both sides of the conversation. When your call is over, hang up the phone and stop recording. Written by Rachel Weingarten. This article first appeared in <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/true-stories-lifestyle/science-technology/18-hidden-voice-memos-features-you-never-knew-about" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader’s Digest</a>. For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, <a href="http://readersdigest.innovations.com.au/c/readersdigestemailsubscribe?utm_source=over60&utm_medium=articles&utm_campaign=RDSUB&keycode=WRA87V" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here’s our best subscription offer.</a> Image: Getty Images

Technology

What if your phone could tell you if you had COVID?

Timely and reliable access to COVID testing <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-01-05/covid-testing-pcr-delays-rat-test-supply-issues/100738982" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-01-05/covid-testing-pcr-delays-rat-test-supply-issues/100738982">has been a source of pain across Australia in recent weeks</a>. High demand, high infection rates and an overwhelmed workforce have seen long queues and delayed results for <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/ask-cosmos-how-reliable-are-pcr-tests/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" data-type="URL" data-id="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/ask-cosmos-how-reliable-are-pcr-tests/">‘gold-standard’ PCR tests</a>. <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/covid/rise-of-rapid-antigen-testing/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" data-type="URL" data-id="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/covid/rise-of-rapid-antigen-testing/">Rapid antigen tests</a> – if you can find and afford one – will give you a quicker result, but they’re less sensitive than PCR. Not to mention, inserting a swab into your nose doesn’t get any more fun the more times you do it.<div class="copy">But what if there were a COVID test you could do at home using just a saliva sample, your smartphone and an inexpensive diagnostic kit? Similar speed to a rapid antigen test – similar accuracy to a PCR test. (And no nasal swab in sight.)That’s the innovation promised by a paper <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.45669" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">published</a> today in the journal JAMA Network Open.In the paper, a team of US-based researchers describe the performance of a new system to test for infection with SARS-CoV-2 and influenza viruses. The technique is called smaRT-LAMP (smartphone-based real-time loop-mediated isothermal amplification).Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) is a technique that, <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/science/what-is-pcr/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">similar to PCR</a>, uses primers and a polymerase to amplify (make copies of) DNA. If DNA from a virus is present in a sample, the LAMP will pick it up. Because influenza and SARS-CoV-2 genomes are made of RNA, there’s an extra step called <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/science/how-is-rt-pcr-used-to-diagnose-covid-19/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" data-type="URL" data-id="https://cosmosmagazine.com/science/how-is-rt-pcr-used-to-diagnose-covid-19/">reverse transcription</a> to convert the RNA into DNA before it’s amplified – this is also the case for PCR tests.However, unlike PCR, LAMP is isothermal – meaning it works at a constant temperature. By contrast, PCR works by heating the sample to a very high temperature to separate the DNA strands, lowering the temperature to allow primers to bind to the exposed DNA, then raising the temperature slightly again to allow the new DNA copies to be extended – and repeating this process over and over again. That means you need specialised – and expensive – thermal cycling equipment for PCR, whereas LAMP can get by with just a hot plate to maintain a constant temperature.Finally, the smaRT-LAMP system uses a smartphone’s camera and an app to detect whether the target virus is present in the saliva sample. A fluorescent dye in the reaction binds to the amplified DNA and is stimulated by an LED light, and the fluorescence is captured by the smartphone’s camera. The system can return a result within just 25 minutes – not too much longer than the 15 minutes required for current rapid antigen tests.It’s also affordable, at an estimated US$7 (about $10) per smaRT-LAMP test, compared to US$10–20 ($14–28) per rapid antigen test and US$100–150 ($140–210) per PCR test.<div class="newsletter-box"><div id="wpcf7-f6-p180588-o1" class="wpcf7" dir="ltr" lang="en-US" role="form"></div></div>Of course, you need to BYO smartphone, but that’s much more accessible than the thermal cyclers needed for PCR.“Smartphones are ideally suited to meet the need for low-cost, widely accessible clinical POC [point-of-care] diagnostic tools, with smartphone global use estimated at nearly half the world’s population,” the paper’s authors noted.In the study, the researchers tested the smaRT-LAMP system on saliva from 50 people – 20 who had tested positive to SARS-CoV-2 and 30 who had tested negative in PCR tests within 12 hours of sample collection. The participants had all presented to hospital with flu-like symptoms or shortness of breath.The study found that the smaRT-LAMP results matched perfectly with the PCR results – everyone who tested positive or negative with one test had the same result for the other. smaRT-LAMP could also detect SARS-CoV-2 with high specificity against six other coronaviruses, and could detect RNA from the Alpha, Gamma, Delta, Epsilon and Iota variants of SARS-CoV-2. It’s also expected to be able to detect the <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/covid/omicron-update-170122/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" data-type="URL" data-id="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/covid/omicron-update-170122/">Omicron variant</a>, although this has not yet been tested.Furthermore, the smaRT-LAMP system could detect influenza with high sensitivity and specificity, simply by using different primers to target the different virus – handy as COVID-19 and flu share many symptoms.However, the primary goal at the moment isn’t convenient at-home testing for individual patients. Instead, the researchers were hoping to create a tool that could overcome testing challenges in healthcare settings, especially in countries with fewer technological and financial resources to handle the pandemic.“The plan was to bring state-of-the-art diagnostics to resource-limited settings,” explains corresponding author Michael J Mahan, a professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara.“We have provided the app and technology open-source and freely available to help reduce the world’s inequities.”That’s not to say that the system couldn’t one day be adapted for home use.“The next phase of the research is to develop low-cost, home-based testing,” says Mahan. <img id="cosmos-post-tracker" style="height: 1px!important;width: 1px!important;border: 0!important" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=180588&title=What+if+your+phone+could+tell+you+if+you+had+COVID%3F" width="1" height="1" /> </div><div id="contributors"><a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/covid/smart-lamp-smartphone-covid-test/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">This article</a> was originally published on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cosmos Magazine</a> and was written by <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/contributor/matilda-handlsey-davis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Matilda Handsley-Davis</a>. Matilda is an Editorial Assistant at Cosmos.Image: Getty Images</div>

Technology

Smartphone security: everything you need to know to keep your phone safe

Smartphone safety Considering our smartphones are now home to everything from emergency contacts to banking information, keeping those assets out of the wrong hands is more important than ever. Read on for all the mobile security threats you need to be on the alert for and what steps experts recommend you take to protect your device. The key principles of smartphone security No matter which type of smartphone you have, these are the four main security issues you should be mindful of. Virus protection: Like your laptop or desktop, phones are susceptible to hacking and viruses. Smartphone privacy: Whether it’s a nosy partner, friend, co-worker, or a hacker who is up to no good, maintaining your privacy on your device is paramount. Phone security: Your phone is often your lifeline and increasingly serves as your digital wallet, which makes it a top target for thieves. Personal data collection: Apps and even your phone itself are always trying to glean information about you. Find out how much is too much and how you can control what information is – and isn’t – shared about you. Phone security best practices: 1. Ignore and avoid phishing attacks Hackers and digital thieves are becoming craftier than ever in an attempt to steal the keys to your identity. Once you’re aware of their tricks and know about the latest scams, you won’t fall victim or mistakenly download a virus to your phone. Your first line of defence: immediately delete any questionable emails or texts and learn how to stop spam texts altogether. 2. Use antivirus for phones Did you know that even with the latest iPhone security updates, <a href="https://www.rd.com/article/can-iphones-get-viruses/">iPhones can get viruses</a>, too? Android users will want to know the ins and outs of <a href="https://www.rd.com/article/google-play-protect/">Google Play Protect</a>. If you should accidentally download a virus, we have you covered for that as well and can fill you in on <a href="https://www.rd.com/article/remove-virus-android-phone/">how to remove hidden malware on an Android phone</a>. Of course, investing in a secure phone is essential to preventing security problems in the first place. 3. Secure your message to maintain privacy Whether you’re in a career that demands privacy or you’re simply planning a surprise birthday party for a friend, you’ll want to know about these strategies for keeping your texts and phone calls secure. <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.rd.com/article/how-to-hide-text-messages-on-an-iphone/" target="_blank">Start by learning how to hide text messages on an iPhone.</a> Then consider if you need an <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.rd.com/article/encrypted-phones/" target="_blank">encrypted phone</a> – find out what this buzzword actually means and why and how to encrypt your iPhone or Android phone. The most secure messaging apps are a must for anyone with privacy concerns. 4. Manage your app permissions Your smartphone and the apps you download to your phone know a lot about you, sometimes even too much. One of the quickest ways to keep your personal information private is by paying attention to your app permissions. For example, does your rideshare app really need access to your contact list or your calendar? Both iPhones and Androids have made it easier than ever to control app permissions, but you still need to do your homework in order to limit them to the ones the app truly needs. 5. Lock your phone According to a 2017 Pew Report, almost 30 percent of smartphone owners do not even use a screen lock or other security features; yet the easiest and most obvious way to keep your phone protected is to regularly lock your home screen and use two-factor authentication. Additionally, experts recommend that you go the extra mile, so make sure you don’t have a weak password and learn how to lock apps on your phone. 6. Be wary of public Wi-Fi Sure, it can be convenient to check your email while waiting for your train or bus and you may occasionally go to the coffee shop down the street to work. But logging on to an open Wi-Fi network could potentially open your device up to hackers – if you’re not careful. 7. Use a recovery app to find a lost phone A lost or stolen iPhone may feel like the worst thing in the world that can happen, but there are steps you can take immediately to protect yourself and your information. Plus the built-in Find My iPhone app can help you reconnect with your lost phone. Don't jailbreak or root your device Finally, experts strongly recommend against jailbreaking your iPhone or rooting your Android. Jailbreaking is the term used to describe hacking into Apple’s mobile operating system iOS and tweaking it so you can customise the appearance and performance of your iPhone. When similar modifications are made to an Android smartphone, the process is called rooting. Why? Even though jailbreaking your phone may seem appealing, no customisation is worth making your phone vulnerable to hacking or other viruses. Bottom line While iPhone and Android are constantly employing better and more sophisticated security measures, at the end of the day, keeping your phone and personal data safe is largely up to you. If you get a suspicious scam text or an iPhone virus warning, think twice before automatically clicking on any links to open it. Look to see if there are any telltale misspellings? Does the URL start with “https:”? And remember, that Apple (and other legitimate companies, such as your bank) will never ask for your password in a text message. Common sense will always be your best defence. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/true-stories-lifestyle/science-technology/smartphone-security-everything-you-need-to-know-to-keep-your-phone-safe?pages=1">Reader's Digest</a>.

Technology

6 smartphone repairs you shouldn’t pay someone to fix

Restore your charge If your phone won’t charge when plugged in, the cord might not be the problem. The charging port often accumulates lint and debris from your pockets and bags, which can block the connecting pins, causing it to charge more slowly or not at all. Fortunately, there’s a low-tech solution. “You can use a safety pin and run it around the inside of the port on your phone to clear it out,” recommends Shayne Sherman, CEO of TechLoris. “If your phone isn’t charging, give this a try before buying a new cord.” You can also use a flat toothpick to remove anything that’s blocking the pins that connect to the charging cable. Clean up fuzzy noise Turned off by inferior sound when you plug speakers into your headphone jack? Just like with your charging port, dirt or debris can cause your device to stop turning on or prevent you from hearing your phone calls, says Liz Hamilton, director of People and Customers at Mobile Klinik, a mobile phone repair business. “Cleaning out your ports can be done carefully with a few quick blasts of compressed air to the area, or even with a cotton bud (remove some of the cotton if you have to get it to fit) and use a high alcohol content cleaner to wipe out the area,” Hamilton says. Replace a shattered screen This one is only for the DIY-confident. “If you’re tech-savvy and willing to risk your expensive device that has many fragile and tiny parts, you can probably fix a screen yourself,” Hamilton says. But you’ll need the right tools for this smartphone repair job, she adds. And it’s easier to replace the screen on some devices than others. For iPhones, for example, iFixit.com recommends applying some heat to soften the adhesive, keeping the screen on, and using opening picks to slice the adhesive apart in order to carefully pry the screen off. That said, replacing a cracked screen is more involved on Android devices such as the Samsung Galaxy series, says Craig Lloyd of iFixit. For example, you’ll need to take the back glass panel off first, which adds steps and complexity to the repair. You’ll probably need to invest in a new case, too. Resurrect a soaked phone If your phone takes an unexpected swim, don’t follow the common wisdom to place it in a bag of rice. As it absorbs water, the rice can get gummy and stick in your phone’s ports. Rice is good for absorbing external moisture, but it could miss some internal moisture that could continue to harm your phone. Instead, the first thing you should do for smartphone repair is simply remove the phone from the water source and turn it off immediately. “Let it dry completely before attempting to turn it back on,” Lloyd says. “You can use a blow dryer on a cool setting to help dry out ports and such.” Some experts also recommend hoarding the packets of silica gel that come with shoes and keeping them in an airtight container (to prevent them from absorbing moisture). Then, when your phone takes a dive, placing it in that same airtight container allows those little packets to work their magic. If your phone still isn’t working, though, many experts recommend that the safest bet for water damage is to turn off your phone and take it to a professional. “Good professionals will give you a free diagnosis and quote before any work is done and the best professionals won’t charge you if they can’t fix it, regardless of the efforts they take to save your device,” Hamilton says. Replace the battery Wouldn’t it be great if it were as easy to replace the batteries in your phone as it is to switch out the ones in your remote control? Unfortunately, batteries are glued down in most phones, so replacing them is more of an involved process for smartphone repair. iFixit has detailed instructions to replace the battery in a Samsung Galaxy. Putting in a new battery is easier in iPhones, however, because they have handy pull tabs on the adhesive that makes battery removal a bit easier, Lloyd says. You should be aware, however, that opening your phone will void your warranty. Many phone manufacturers (including Apple) will replace your phone battery for free if it’s still under warranty, and for a small fee even if it’s not. Improve a mediocre lens Have you always dreamed of taking super-clear photos or having the ability to focus in close on flowers or faces? You need a macro lens! Sadly, most phone cameras don’t come with one. You could buy one, or you could use this neat trick to improve your camera for free. Get that DVD player you don’t use any more (thanks, streaming) and salvage the lens: It’s the little piece that guides the disc-reading laser. Dig out the glue to free the lens. You can either place it over your phone camera and secure it with some putty, or put it on some tape, cut a hole, and simply stick it over the lens. This will give you such extreme focus that you can even see the cell structure of an onion! Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared in <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/true-stories-lifestyle/science-technology/6-smartphone-repairs-you-shouldnt-pay-someone-to-fix">Reader's Digest</a>.

Technology

How new smartphone tech will help diagnose mental health issues

Apple is reportedly working on new technology that could be used to diagnose mental health conditions such as depression and cognitive decline. In collaboration with the biotech Biogen, Apple is hoping to utilise their digital sensors to their potential, which already include heart, sleep and activity monitoring through the Apple Watch and iPhone. Researchers told the <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/apple-wants-iphones-to-help-detect-depression-cognitive-decline-sources-say-11632216601">Wall Street Journal</a> they will be able to use data from iPhone sensors to track digital signals that are linked to mental health issues, such as anxiety and depression, and feed them into an algorithm. This should be able to predict depression and other conditions and form the basis of new features in a future version of Apple's operating system. The research is an amalgamation of two research projects that involve tracking Apple devices to predict mental health habits. One project, codenamed ‘Seabreeze’, explores stress and anxiety-induced tendencies in partnership with Apple. The other, codenamed ‘Pi’, has set out to further analyse mild cognitive impairment. As the projects remain in their early stages, Apple has yet to officially confirm if they will result in new iPhone features. To effectively diagnose a mental health condition, an individual requires close monitoring by experts to look for changes in behaviour from the norm. The data analysed by these projects include monitoring facial expressions, how often users speak, how often they go for a walk, how well they sleep as well as heart and breathing rates. People 'close to the study' told the WSJ they may also be looking at the speed of typing, frequency of typos, content they type and other points. All of these habits are thought to be “digital signals” that can hint at mental health issues. Image credit: Shutterstock

Technology

Insights from Morocco into how smartphones support migration

For undocumented migrants and refugees travelling to new countries, accurate information is vital. Because of this, smartphones – mobile phones that perform many of the functions of a computer, like accessing the internet – have become an important tool. They give migrants access to applications such as Google maps, WhatsApp, Facebook, and Twitter. These can provide them with information from social media and close contacts. In a <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.13169/workorgalaboglob.13.1.0062?seq=1">recent study</a>, my colleague Filippo Bignami and I investigated the role of smartphones in irregular migration. We wanted to know how they helped migrants reach their destination and what kind of information migrants accessed using them. Our focus was on sub-Saharan migrants arriving in Morocco, specifically in the city of Fès, on their way to Europe. We found that smartphones supported migration flows by providing migrants with access to online information before and during travel and when they arrived at their destination country. They affected their migration routes and choice of final destination. They also helped migrants to share information with each other. The smartphones were equally used by traffickers. They allowed them to contact prospective irregular migrants and provide them with information. From what we’ve seen, smartphones are being increasingly used to minimise risks and address migration challenges. Policymakers can use this information to better support their journey, and ensure their safety, by engaging them through smartphone applications. Meeting migrants We first investigated how the use of smartphones and social media influenced migration journeys. Then we explored how they influenced decisions regarding their final destinations. Finally we looked at how they affected the financing of migration. To do this, we conducted interviews with 27 migrants from January 2017 until March 2018 and followed them for a period between 4 and 8 months. We met the migrants in the neighbourhoods where they lived, in streets, and cafes. They gave us information about their use of technology, migratory routes, demographic and socio-economic profiles, daily lives, relations with society and their migratory project. It made sense for us to focus our study on Morocco which, since the mid-2000s, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jul/26/hundreds-storm-border-fence-spanish-enclave-north-africa-ceuta-spain-migration">has been</a> a transit country for many refugees and African migrants wishing to reach Europe. They do this either through the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, or through the Canary Islands. It’s <a href="https://www.theseus.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/125569/Naama_Mbarek_Helsinki.pdf?sequence=1">estimated</a> that migrants come from over 10 countries in Africa, in particular; Nigeria, Mali, Senegal, Congo and Cote d'Ivoire, Togo, Guinea, Benin, Ghana, Niger, and Cameroon. According to <a href="https://www.hcp.ma/file/217998/">Morocco’s Statistics Office</a>, between 15,000 and 25,000 African migrants enter Morocco each year. Many aren’t able to complete the trip, and stay in Morocco, but each year it’s believed that <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-40504374">over</a> 8,000 irregular sub-Saharan migrants cross to Spain. Influence of smartphones We found that the intention to migrate was significantly influenced by mobile technologies in addition to the traditional push-factors, such as conflict, civil war, economic hardship, and family impact. Smartphones made the process relatively faster and smoother. They guided migrants in their quest to reach their destinations. For instance, they used Google to access news or maps which provided them with information on the directions to take to reach their destination country. These applications could also show when the best time, or place, was for border crossings. If migrants were in difficulty or lost they could use the phones to ask for help. They used specific applications like WhatsApp or Messenger for communication. These apps were also key for the migrants to stay in touch with family, friends and traffickers. Aside from emotional support, this was an important way in which migrants could continue to finance their travels. As one interviewee stated: “When I need money I make a call to my parents through WhatsApp, and they send it via Western Union really fast.” The phones also provided for cooperation and communication between migrants. They helped each other choose the safest routes and share other information. The accessibility of smartphones made some migrants more confident and independent. Because of their access to information, some were making their journeys without smugglers. When they reached their destination, the sharing of news and photos about their journey – and how they managed to cross borders – motivated more young people to migrate. And it’s not just migrants that use them. Smartphones allowed traffickers to recruit prospective immigrants and quickly disseminate information. New opportunities We have seen evidence of how mobile technologies are transforming societies, migration processes, migrants’ lives, their social aspirations, and migration movements. This information could be used to develop policies to protect migrants’ rights and to support migrants’ participation and integration. Such knowledge is a good starting point for policy-making to revise the current regulations, so as to integrate the migrants in education, health care and housing facilities, the job market, and other sectors. Thus, smartphones and social media are reshaping not only migration movements but also migration policies with the daily use of mobile technologies. Moha Ennaji‘s most recent books are “Managing Cultural Diversity in the Mediterranean Region” and “Muslim Moroccan Migrants in Europe”. Written by <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/moha-ennaji-333834">Moha Ennaji</a>, Université Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/insights-from-morocco-into-how-smartphones-support-migration-147513">The Conversation.</a>

Travel Tips

Robots and drones: The new age of toys

I’m a geek. And as a geek, I love my tech toys. But over time I’ve noticed toys are becoming harder to understand. Some modern toys resemble advanced devices. There are flying toys, walking toys, and roving toys. A number of these require “configuring” or “connecting”. The line between toy, gadget and professional device is blurrier than ever, as manufacturers churn out products including <a href="https://www.t3.com/features/best-kids-drones">drones for kids</a> and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Hidden-Spy-Nanny-Camera-Wi-fi/dp/B07P7BCYZT">plush toys with hidden nanny cams</a>. With such a variety of sophisticated, and sometimes over-engineered products, it’s clear manufacturers have upped their game. But why is this happening? The price of tech Toys these days seem to be designed with two major components in mind. It’s all about the smarts and rapid manufacture. In modern toys, we see a considerable level of programmed intelligence. This can be used to control the toy’s actions, or have it respond to input to provide real time feedback and interaction – making it appear “smarter”. This is all made possible by the falling price of technology. Once upon a time, placing a microcontroller (a single chip microprocessor) inside a toy was simply uneconomical. These days, they’ll <a href="https://au.rs-online.com/web/c/semiconductors/processors-microcontrollers/microcontrollers/">only set you back a few dollars</a> and allow significant computing power. Microcontrollers are often WiFi and Bluetooth enabled, too. This allows “connected” toys to access a wide range of internet services, or be controlled by a smartphone. Another boon for toy manufacturers has been the rise of prototype technologies, including 3D modelling, 3D printing, and low cost CNC (computer numerical control) milling. These technologies allow the advanced modelling of toys, which can help design them to be “tougher”. They also allow manufacturers to move beyond simple (outer) case designs and towards advanced multi-material devices, where the case of the toy forms an active part of the toy’s function. Examples of this include hand grips (found on console controls and toys including Nerf Blasters), advanced surface textures, and internal structures which support shock absorption to protect internal components, such as wheel suspensions in toy cars. Bot helpers and robot dogs Many recent advancements in toys are there to appease our admiration of automatons, or self operating machines. The idea that an inanimate object is transcending its static world, or is “thinking”, is one of the magical elements that prompts us to attach emotions to toys. And manufacturers know this, with some toys designed specifically to drive emotional attachment. My favourite example of this is roaming robots, such as the artificially intelligent <a href="https://www.anki.com/en-us/vector.html">Anki Vector</a>. With sensors and internet connectivity, the Vector drives around and interacts with its environment, as well as you. It’s even <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Vector-Robot-Anki-Hangs-Helps/dp/B07G3ZNK4Y">integrated with Amazon Alexa</a>. Another sophisticated toy is Sony’s Aibo. This robot pet shows how advanced robotics, microelectronics, actuators (which allow movement), sensors, and programming can be used to create a unique toy experience with emotional investment. <a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/ho-chi-minh-city-vietnam-apr-1095006827" class="source"></a>Screens not included Toy manufacturers are also leveraging the rise of smartphones and portable computing. Quadcopters (or drones) and other similar devices often don’t need to include their own display in the remote control, as video can be beamed to an attached device. Some toys even use smartphones as the only control interface (used to control the toy), usually via an app, saving manufacturers from having to provide what is arguably the most expensive part of the toy. This means a smartphone becomes an inherent requirement, without which the toy can’t be used. It would be incredibly disappointing to buy a cool, new toy - only to realise you don’t own the very expensive device required to use it. My toys aren’t spying on me, surely? While spying may be the last thing you consider when buying a toy, there have been several reports of talking dolls <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2016/12/20/506208146/this-doll-may-be-recording-what-children-say-privacy-groups-charge">recording in-home conversations</a>. There are similar concerns with smart-home assistants such as Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Apple’s Siri, which store <a href="https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2018/may/31/ro-khanna/your-amazon-alexa-spying-you/">your voice recordings in the cloud</a>. These concerns might also be warranted with toys such as the Vector, and Aibo. In fact, anything that has a microphone, camera or wireless connectivity can be considered a privacy concern. Toys of the future We’ve established toys are becoming more sophisticated, but does that mean they’re getting better? <a href="https://www.gartner.com/smarterwithgartner/gartner-top-10-strategic-technology-trends-for-2020/">Various</a> <a href="https://www.accenture.com/us-en/insights/technology/technology-trends-2019">reports</a> indicate in 2020, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning will continue to be pervasive in our lives. This means buying toys could become an even trickier task than it currently is. There are some factors shoppers can consider. On the top of my list of concerns is the type and number of batteries a toy requires, and how to charge them. If a device has <a href="https://theconversation.com/nearly-all-your-devices-run-on-lithium-batteries-heres-a-nobel-prizewinner-on-his-part-in-their-invention-and-their-future-126197">in-built lithium batteries</a>, can they be easily replaced? And if the toy is designed for outdoors, <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-batteries-have-started-catching-fire-so-often-68602">can it cope with the heat?</a> Most lithium-ion batteries degrade quickly in hot environments. And does the device require an additional screen or smartphone? It’s also worth being wary of what personal details are required to sign-up for a service associated with a toy - and if the toy can still function if its manufacturer should cease to exist, or the company should go bust. And, as always, if you’re considering an advanced, “connected” toy, make sure to prioritise your security and privacy.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/127503/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/andrew-maxwell-561482">Andrew Maxwell</a>, Senior Lecturer, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-southern-queensland-1069">University of Southern Queensland</a> This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/robots-ai-and-drones-when-did-toys-turn-into-rocket-science-127503">original article</a>.

Technology

How to deal with smartphone stress

In the past decade, smartphones have gone from being a status item to an indispensable part of our everyday lives. And we spend <a href="https://www2.deloitte.com/au/mobile-consumer-survey">a lot of time</a> on them, around <a href="https://www.emarketer.com/corporate/coverage/be-prepared-mobile">four hours a day on average</a>. There’s an increasing body of research that shows smartphones can interfere with our <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0749597814000089">sleep</a>, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352853217300159">productivity</a>, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165032716303196">mental health</a> and <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.3758/s13423-016-1011-z">impulse control</a>. Even having a <a href="https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/691462">smartphone within reach</a> can reduce available cognitive capacity. But it’s recently been suggested we should be more concerned with the potential for smartphones to shorten our lives by chronically <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/24/well/mind/putting-down-your-phone-may-help-you-live-longer.html">raising our levels of cortisol</a>, one of the body’s main stress hormones. The stress hormone Cortisol is often mislabelled as the primary fight-or-flight hormone that springs us into action when we are facing a threat (it is actually adrenaline that does this). Cortisol is produced when we are under stress, but its role is to keep the body on high alert, by increasing blood sugar levels and <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/buy/2004-15935-004">suppressing the immune system</a>. This serves us well when dealing with an immediate physical threat that resolves quickly. But when we’re faced with ongoing emotional stressors (like 24/7 work emails) chronically elevated cortisol levels can lead to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10732263">all sorts of health problems</a> including diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure and depression. The long term risks for disease, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1210/jc.2010-0192">heart attack, stroke</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fnagi.2019.00043">dementia</a> are also increased, all of which can lead to premature death. While many people say they feel more stressed now than <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2017-10-13/smartphone-survey-results-show-fascinating-differences-in-usage/9042184">before they had a smartphone</a>, research has yet to determine the role our smartphones play in actually elevating our levels of cortisol throughout the day. A recent study found greater smartphone use was associated with a greater rise in the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0747563217306908">cortisol awakening response</a> – the natural spike in cortisol that occurs around 30 minutes after waking to prepare us for the demands of the day. <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/300024/original/file-20191104-88378-14tmhxu.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/300024/original/file-20191104-88378-14tmhxu.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="" /></a> In the past, we couldn’t receive angry emails from our bosses 24/7. from www.shutterstock.com Awakening responses that are too high or too low are associated with <a href="https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0167876008007940">poor physical and mental health</a>. But smartphone use did not affect participants’ natural pattern of cortisol rises and falls throughout the rest of the day. And no other studies have pointed to a link between smartphone use and chronically elevated cortisol levels. However people still do report feelings of <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15213269.2015.1121832">digital stress</a> and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0747563215300893">information</a> and <a href="https://academic.oup.com/ct/article/27/3/269/4651866">communication overload</a>. Checking work emails in the evening or first thing upon waking can lead to the kind of stress that could potentially interfere with natural cortisol rhythms (not to mention <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0749597814000089">sleep</a>). <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0747563214007018">Social media can also be stressful</a>, making us feel tethered to our social networks, exposing us to conflict and cyberbullying, and fostering social comparison and <a href="https://clutejournals.com/index.php/JBER/article/view/9554">FoMO</a> (fear of missing out). Despite being aware of these stressors, the dopamine hit we get thanks to social media’s <a href="http://sheu.org.uk/sheux/EH/eh363mdg.pdf">addictive design</a> means there is still a compulsion to check our feeds and notifications whenever we find ourselves with idle time. More than half of under 35s regularly check their smartphone <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2017-10-13/smartphone-survey-results-show-fascinating-differences-in-usage/9042184">when on the toilet</a>. Some tips Dealing with smartphone-induced stress is not as simple as having periods of going cold turkey. The withdrawals associated with the unofficial condition known as <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4036142/">nomophobia</a> (an abbreviation of “no-mobile-phone phobia”) have also been shown to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6143708/">increase cortisol levels</a>. Rather than going on a digital detox, which has been likened to the fad of the <a href="https://qz.com/1229311/digital-detoxing-is-the-tech-equivalent-of-a-juice-cleanse-and-neither-of-them-work/">juice cleanse diet</a>, we should be aiming for <a href="https://www.digitalnutrition.com.au/">digital nutrition</a>. That is, maintaining a healthier relationship with our smartphones where we are more mindful and intentional about what we consume digitally, so we can maximise the benefits and minimise the stress they bring to our lives. <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/300027/original/file-20191104-88368-9qo4rf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/300027/original/file-20191104-88368-9qo4rf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="" /></a> Making the bed and kitchen table phone-free zones can help to reduce their effect on our lives. from www.shutterstock.com Here are some tips for healthier smartphone use: <ol> <li> Use Apple’s “<a href="https://support.apple.com/en-au/HT208982">Screen Time</a>”, Android’s <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.actiondash.playstore&hl=en_AU">ActionDash</a> or the <a href="https://inthemoment.io/">Moment app</a> to take an audit of how often you use your phone and which apps take up most of your time </li> <li> Turn off all but the most important app notifications (such as private messages) so you can take back control of when you look at your phone. You can also allocate certain times of the day to be notification free </li> <li> Turn off the “push” or “fetch new data” option on your smartphone’s email. This way emails will only appear when you open the mail app and refresh it. As an added bonus this will help extend your phone’s battery life </li> <li> Take some time to complete a digital declutter, which includes unfollowing people/pages (there’s an <a href="https://blogs.systweak.com/how-to-mass-unfollow-on-instagram/">app</a> for that!) and unsubscribing from email lists (<a href="https://www.cleanfox.io/en/">that too</a>!) that cause you stress or don’t benefit you. Remember you can unfollow friends on Facebook without defriending them </li> <li> Create tech-free zones in your house, such as the kitchen table or bedrooms. An “out of sight out of mind” approach will help keep smartphone-delivered stress from creeping into your downtime </li> <li> Set a digital curfew to support better restorative sleep and don’t keep your phone next to your bed. Instead of reaching for your phone first thing in the morning, start your day with a brief meditation, some exercise, or a slow breakfast </li> <li> Be mindful and curious about how often you pick up your phone during the day simply out of boredom. Instead of bombarding your mind with information, use these opportunities to clear your mind with a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Bs0qUB3BHQ">short breathing exercise</a>. There’s even a mindfulness exercise that challenges you to hold your phone while you <a href="https://www.mindful.org/addicted-to-your-phone-try-this-practice-phone-in-hand/">meditate on your relationship with it</a>, so you can reclaim your phone as a cue to check-in with yourself, rather than your emails or social media feed.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/116426/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> </li> </ol> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/brad-ridout-730902">Brad Ridout</a>, Research Fellow; Registered Psychologist; Deputy Chair, Cyberpsychology Research Group, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a> This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-deal-with-smartphone-stress-116426">original article</a>.

Technology

The new 5G smartphones causing headaches for Apple

Telstra has recently launched a 5G network within Australia, which means that Samsung, LG and Oppo have also released their first devices that are capable of handling the new network speeds. As these brands are all Android phones, Apple should be worried about their market share in Australia as Aussies will want a phone that can handle the faster speeds. Here are the top three competitors. 1. Samsung Galaxy S10 5G The S10 5G Samsung device has the largest screen out of the three 5G phones on offer, measuring at 17cms. There are four cameras on the back of the device and two on the front, as well as the device offering a 3D depth feature. The 3D depth feature allows more immersive photography and the two cameras on the front mean that there’s a wider angle for you to get selfies with your grandkids. The phone also offers a headphone jack, reverse wireless charging and an in-screen fingerprint sensor. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bzx1sPLl4cc/" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bzx1sPLl4cc/" target="_blank">A post shared by Welcome To The Blue Galaxy (@samsungblue_)</a> on Jul 11, 2019 at 6:49am PDT </div> </blockquote> 2. LG V50 THINQ 5G LG has shaken up the growing trend of newer smartphones coming with a clear case and has added a new case that snaps onto the back of the V50 ThinQ 5G that also contains a front cover with a built in touch-screen. You’re essentially getting two smartphones in one as the dual screen offered allows you to multitask while on the go. The dual screen is not compatible for all applications. The LG V50 offers three cameras on the back and there are two cameras on the front, which seems to be a growing trend in the smartphone market. However, you have to open the cover each time to take a photo using the front cameras, which might make you want to remove the dual screen entirely, according to <a href="https://www.news.com.au/technology/gadgets/mobile-phones/5g-smartphones-the-midrange-phones-causing-big-headaches-for-apple/news-story/e3a0f9938976a86248d7134ed6b3b5d6">news.com.au</a>. <a style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BzxVGAMJD44/" data-instgrm-version="12"></a> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BzxVGAMJD44/" target="_blank">A post shared by 🇰🇷 Ji Yeon 지연 (@bli2s_)</a> on Jul 11, 2019 at 2:04am PDT </div> 3. OPPO RENO 5G Oppo Reno 5G is the cheapest of all three smartphones on offer. The phone offers a 16.7cm display and the screen is edge-to-edge. Oppo also offer an invisible front facing 16megapixel camera that pops out of the phone when activated. There are three cameras on the rear of the phone that include a 48-megapixel lens with a 10x hybrid zoom. The phone comes with 256g of on-board storage, but it lacks water resistance and wireless charging. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BxUily-lEZm/" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BxUily-lEZm/" target="_blank">A post shared by PLANET PONSEL (@planetponsel.id)</a> on May 11, 2019 at 4:42am PDT </div> </blockquote>

Technology

Is your smartphone making you shy?

During the three years I’ve spent researching and writing about shyness, one of the most common questions people ask is about the relationship between shyness and technology. Are the internet and the cellphone causing our social skills to atrophy? I often hear this from parents of shy teenagers, who are worried that their children are spending more time with their devices than with their peers. This anxiety isn’t new. At the first international conference on shyness, organized in Wales in 1997 by the British Psychological Society, Stanford psychology professor Philip Zimbardo was the keynote speaker. He noted that since he began the Stanford Shyness Survey in the 1970s, the number of people who said they were shy <a href="http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/guardian/doc/187962581.html?FMT=CITE&FMTS=CITE:AI&type=historic&date=Jul+22%2C+1997&author=&pub=The+Guardian+%281959-2003%29&edition=&startpage=A8&desc=Silence+of+the+sheepish">had risen from 40 per cent to 60 per cent</a>. He blamed this on new technology like email, cellphones and even ATMs, which had loosened the “social glue” of casual contact. He feared the arrival of “a new ice age” of noncommunication, when we would easily be able to go an entire day without talking to someone. Some of Zimbardo’s fears have been realized. Look at any public space today and you’ll see faces buried in tablets and phones. The rise of loneliness and social anxiety is now a familiar refrain in the work of sociologists such as <a href="http://bowlingalone.com">Robert Putnam</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0qE90GDOhw">John Cacioppo</a> and <a href="http://alonetogetherbook.com">Sherry Turkle</a>. They argue that individualized consumerism is isolating us from each other and selling us cheap techno-fixes to ease the pain. We rely increasingly on what Turkle calls “sociable robots,” like Siri, the iPhone digital assistant, as a stand-in for flesh-and-blood intimates. Even when spending time with others we are half-elsewhere, distracted by technology – “alone together,” as Turkle puts it. And yet this sense of being “alone together” can actually be useful for shy people, who can turn to technology to express themselves in new ways. A different kind of social The shy aren’t necessarily antisocial; they are just differently social. They learn to regulate their sociability and communicate in indirect or tangential ways. Cellphones allow them to make connections without some of the awkwardness of face-to-face interactions. When the Finnish company Nokia introduced texting to its phones in the mid-1990s, it seemed to be a primitive technology – a time-consuming, energy-inefficient substitute for talking. But texting <a href="https://books.google.com/books/about/Perpetual_Contact.html?id=Wt5AsHEgUh0C">took off among Finnish boys</a> because it was a way to talk to girls without the signals being scrambled by blushing faces or tied tongues. Two sociologists, Eija-Liisa Kasesniemi and Pirjo Rautiainen, <a href="https://books.google.com/books/about/Perpetual_Contact.html?id=Wt5AsHEgUh0C">found</a> that while Finnish boys would rarely tell girls they loved them, they might spend half an hour drafting a loving text message. They also discovered that boys were more likely to text the words “I love you” in English rather than Finnish, because they found it easier to express strong feelings in a different language. Another scholar of cellphone culture, Bella Ellwood-Clayton, <a href="http://www.mta.t-mobile.mpt.bme.hu/dok/7_Ellwood.pdf">showed</a> how text messages served a similar purpose in the Philippines. Filipino courtship rituals are traditionally coy and convoluted, with elaborate customs such as “teasing” (tuksuhan) among mutual friends or using an intermediary (tulay, which literally translates to “human bridge”) between potential partners. The cellphone allowed young Filipinos to circumvent these elaborate, risk-averse routines and test the waters themselves by text. Such is the case wherever cellphones are used: Texting emboldens those who are more dexterous with their thumbs than with their tongues. The ping announcing a text’s arrival is less insistent than a phone ring. It does not catch us by surprise or demand we answer it instantly. It lends us space to digest and ponder a response. The shyness paradox As for the looming “social ice age” created by technology, Zimbardo made that claim before the rise of social networks and the smartphone. These have made it easy for people to lay bare intimate details of their private lives online, in ways that seem the very opposite of shyness. Advocates of this kind of online self-disclosure <a href="https://hbr.org/2012/10/why-radical-transparency-is-good-business">call it</a> “radical transparency.” Not everyone using social networks is amenable to radical transparency, of course. Some prefer to hide behind online personas, pseudonyms and avatars. And this anonymity can also inspire the opposite of shyness – <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-news-sites-online-comments-helped-build-our-hateful-electorate-70170">a boldness that turns into hostility and abuse</a>. So these new mobile and online technologies have complex effects. They aggravate our shyness at the same time as they help us to overcome it. Perhaps this paradox tells us something paradoxical about shyness. In his book <a href="https://books.google.com/books/about/Shock_Of_The_Old.html?id=IdVGikvzIHoC">The Shock of the Old</a>, historian David Edgerton argues that our understanding of historical progress is “innovation-centric.” We think that new technologies change everything for good. However, according to Edgerton, we underestimate how much these innovations have to struggle against the forces of habit and inertia. In other words, new technologies don’t change our basic natures; they mold themselves around them. So it is with shyness. After about 150,000 years of human evolution, shyness must surely be a resilient quality – an “odd state of mind,” as Charles Darwin <a href="http://darwin-online.org.uk/content/frameset?itemID=F1142&viewtype=text&pageseq=1">called it</a>, caused by our strange capacity for “self-attention.” And yet we are also social animals that crave the support and approval of the tribe. Our need for others is so strong that shyness simply makes us sublimate our social instincts into other areas: art, writing, email, texting. This, in the end, is my answer to the worried parents of shy teenagers. Is their cellphone making them shyer? No: They are both shy and sociable, and their phone is helping them find new ways to express that contradiction. Written by Joe Moran, Professor of English and Cultural History, Liverpool John Moores University. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/is-your-smartphone-making-you-shy-71605">The Conversation</a>. <img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/71605/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />

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