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The captivating winners of the Mobile Photography Awards

It turns out your smartphone camera can do much more than capture pictures of your pets, family holidays and fancy meals. These budding photographers have pushed the limits of their smartphone camera and emerged victorious in the first <a href="https://www.britishphotographyawards.org/2024-mobile-photography-awards/gallery" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mobile Photography Awards</a>, launched this year by the British Photography Awards (BPA), in partnership with Samsung. Entrants submitted their snaps under categories including Portrait, Landscape, Night Scenes, Food & Drink, Pets and Zoom In, creating some of the most breath-taking pics that look as though they have been taken with a professional camera. BPA Awards Director & Photographer, Hugo Donnithorne-Tait, said, "As photography continues to develop as a medium, it is clear that the way people take and enjoy photos is changing too.' "More and more photographs today are being captured only because people have a top camera in their pocket when they need it. This means so many more of life’s moments are being documented." This year's winning photos feature a father and son sleeping side by side, a hiker atop the Scottish Highlands, the bustling London streets from above and below, a furry friend at bath time, and a few hungry seagulls. All image credits: British Photography Awards

International Travel

How to avoid mobile phone bill horror stories when travelling

"I'm sorry, calls to this number are not allowed, please try again later". This. Again. At 1am standing outside what I thought was our Galway Airbnb, but instead was a popular alley for Irish revellers to relieve themselves. Brilliant. After begging a convenience store manager, borrowing a phone and stealing some local wi-fi, we made it to bed before 3am (one-star rating for the Airbnb host, naturally). Such was the power of the phone company when you're on holiday, I still got pinged far-too-high amounts for calls and data used to attempt a check-in at the Irish abode. A reader recently contacted me wanting to avoid such a conundrum by asking for the best SIM cards available in Europe. Thankfully, EU law has recently shielded travellers from harsh cross-border roaming charges by ruling that providers cannot charge excessively for access to rival networks in fellow EU nations. You'll see the kiosks hawking pre-paid SIM packages at many major airports. If you want the dependability a SIM provides, assess your needs and shop around. Better yet, get to know your smartphone better and use the whole range of mobile apps that will soon make international call and text roaming redundant. Organising hotels, taxis, tours, dinner reservations as well as calling home and making your friends and colleagues jealous with holiday snaps can all be done with a wi-fi connections, which are readily available and far cheaper (if not free). Avoid phone bill shock when you're away <ul> <li>Contact your mobile phone company rep about your destination and length of stay to see what add-ons and spending caps may be best.</li> <li>Only purchase local SIMs if you're in the country more than a week, have an unplanned itinerary or will have no free wi-fi at your accommodation.</li> <li>If you're on a per-day bundle, choose a few days to be on-the-grid and turn off your mobile data on other days.</li> <li>Go wi-fi only, in North American, Asian and European cities it's readily available.</li> <li>Embrace apps like Uber, Gett, WhatsApp, OpenTable and TripAdvisor to book taxis, call home and book restaurants and tours using hotel wi-fi and thus limiting calls.</li> </ul> Image credit: Shutterstock Written by Josh Martin. Republished with permission of <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stuff.co.nz</a>.

Travel Tips

Tips for safe mobile banking

As we increasingly turn to our mobile devices for online transactions, it’s crucial to keep security in mind. We’ve all misplaced our mobile phone at some stage and the last thing you want is for some random stranger to get direct access to your bank accounts and other personal details. 1. Use a strong password – This goes without saying.While it might not be as critical with your library pass, someone who cracks or guesses your online banking password can drain your account dry. If you memorise just one strong password, make it your online banking password. 2. Never store passwords on your smartphone – Many people still try to hide passwords or PIN numbers within the body of text or phone numbers. However, despite how cleverly you may think you've concealed them, criminals know what to look for and where. It's always best to commit these security details to memory and not record them anywhere. This includes not ticking "save password" on website and applications that offer to remember your login details. Also make sure you limit other personal information. Criminals are interested in more than just your internet banking details. Any kind of personal information can be used to steal your identity, which criminals can then use to apply for credit cards, personal loans, even mortgages. 3. Use a password manager – Okay, in the real world you probably have more than one online financial account. Rather than strain your brain memorising hard-to-crack passwords for each of them, look at enlisting the help of a password manager. There are plenty of apps available and the best ones not only store your passwords securely but also help you work through your collection of passwords and replace weak ones and duplicates. 4. Activate smartphone security settings and password protection – All smartphones have built-in security features such as auto-locking and password protection. While it may seem like a bit of an inconvenience at times, these physical security measures are your first line of defense in keeping your smartphone and your personal details safe. You can also install smartphone security software as well as remote data wiping software if you lose your phone or it gets stolen. 5. Connect through your data plan – If you're banking online on a mobile device, you have a degree of in-built protection available when you turn off wi-fi tethering and bluetooth and connect using your mobile data plan. It's a lot harder for criminals to sniff your mobile data stream than to snag passwords from network traffic. If you’re on wi-fi only use reputable hot spots that are password protected. If you connect to a shared wi-fi hotspot you are completely dependent on the security of the host network. 6. Don't be tempted to jailbreak your smartphone – If you crack the manufacturer's security on your smartphone, you not only make your warranty invalid but you make it much more vulnerable to attacks by cybercriminals. 7. Clear your phone when you replace it – If you sell or discard your smartphone, it's crucial you delete all personal information first. This includes SMS messages, emails, photographs, contact details and internet links. Image credit: Shutterstock

Money & Banking

What the “father of the cell phone” wants you to know

The inventor of the mobile phone has shared his candid opinion about the obsession with smart devices. Martin Cooper, an American engineer dubbed the “father of the cell phone”, invented the very first mobile phone 50 years ago in 1973. Back then, the weighty block of wires and circuits were only used to make calls, a far cry from having the world at your fingertips with smartphones today. Cooper believes that despite all the good that can come from modern technology, the world has become a little obsessed with smart devices. “I am devastated when I see somebody crossing the street and looking at their cell phone. They are out of their minds,” the 94-year-old told AFP from his office in Del Mar, California. “But after a few people get run over by cars, they’ll figure it out,” he joked. Mr Cooper also indulges in the latest gadgets, as he wears an Apple Watch and uses a top-end iPhone, flicking intuitively between his email, photos, YouTube and the controls for his hearing aid. Despite keeping up with all the latest apps, updates and upgrades, he confessed that sometimes it can all seem a little overwhelming. “I will never, ever understand how to use the cell phone the way my grandchildren and great grandchildren do,” he said. “Each generation is going to be smarter … they will learn how to use the cell phone more effectively,” he said. “Humans sooner or later figure it out.” Image credits: Getty Images

Technology

5 tech mistakes not to make while travelling

In the hustle and bustle of preparing for a holiday away we sometimes forget about the small little things. We’re sure you’ve checked off all those big things you needed to do before you jet off but have you considered these simple tech mistakes people often made? We’ve rounded up the top five you’ll want to avoid to ensure your trip is easier and more enjoyable. Not backing anything up You might only be away for a week and it’s just a few hours away so it’s unlikely anything will happen, right? But what if the unexpected does happen and you lose your photos from your phone? What if your tablet gets stolen or lost? What if the memory card goes bust? Back up your phone, tablet and digital camera before you go away and if you’re holidaying for a while, it’s worthwhile to bring a USB stick to periodically back-up. Using your cell data For those going overseas, roaming rates can cost an arm and a leg. Either check if your mobile company has a reasonable international package or switch off the cellular data so your phone won’t use it. Instead limit yourself to wi-fi – most countries have public wi-fi hotspots and most accommodation usually has internet. Remember not to do anything personal on an unsecure wi-fi connection. Making calls instead of using Skype Rather than paying for international calls and texts, Skype will let you stay in touch with friends and family for free. Just make sure you’re connected to wi-fi so you’re not paying for cellular data. Stowing electronics in your check-in luggage You might be tempted to throw some of your electronics in your big luggage, after all you’re not going to be using them on the plane. But remember your check-in bag has to survive manhandling and an unpredictable luggage belt and we’ve all heard stories of items mysteriously disappearing from bags. Keep your expensive electronic with you on your carry-on. Not keeping devices close When you’ve settled into a hotel room, it’s easy to forget they’re not very secure. Think of all the people who have access to your room when you’re not in it. Even leaving valuables behind the desk can bring with it certain risks depending on the establishment you’re staying at. The best advice is to keep your electronics on you at all times. Image credits: Getty Images

Travel Tips

Could mobile phones revolutionise chronic wound treatment?

Australian researchers are developing a contactless, thermal imaging system that uses artificial intelligence to help nurses determine the best way to treat leg ulcers without waiting to see if the wound is going to heal properly. It’s estimated that 450,000 thousand Australians currently live with a chronic wound. Being able to predict early on which wounds will become chronic could improve outcomes by enabling nurses to start specialised therapy as soon as possible. But current techniques rely on physically monitoring the wound area over several weeks. New research from RMIT in Melbourne paired thermal imaging with AI. The software was able to accurately identify unhealing ulcers 78% of the time, and healing ulcers 60% of the time, according to the new study <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-20835-y" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">published</a> in Scientific Reports. “Our new work that identifies chronic leg wounds during the first visit is a world-first achievement,” says lead researcher Professor Dinesh Kumar, from RMIT’s School of Engineering. “This means specialised treatment for slow-healing leg ulcers can begin up to four weeks earlier than the current gold standard.” How do you normally assess wound healing? The work builds on <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-92828-2.epdf?sharing_token=7SIEmbOksKOou2TGQ5qPWdRgN0jAjWel9jnR3ZoTv0NntGTf8gfSMhoDjLAz58SefUeGL0aP2A-0mDVnZaiZTcBjNNpA4cvP9FgK6-aoPzyk4oQ0OSbPh83HNS_AwGDQVMg43K4WmG60QDoQohtsdkaRv70YSxfPg4Dn0qa_CUs%3D" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">previous research</a> by the same team, which found that this method could be used to predict wound healing by week 3 after initial assessment. But they wanted to know whether healing could be predicted from the first wound assessment only, reducing any delay in treatment. If a wound is healing normally it’s area would reduce by 50% within four weeks, but more than 20% of ulcers don’t heal in this expected trajectory and may need specialist interventions. Venous leg ulcers (VLUs) are the <a href="https://treasury.gov.au/sites/default/files/2022-03/258735_wounds_australia.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">most common</a> chronic wound seen in Australia and currently, the gold standard for predicting their healing– conventional digital planimetry – requires physical contact. Regular wound photography is also less accurate because there can be variations between images due to lighting, image quality, and differences in camera angle. But a non-contact method like thermal imaging could overcome this. The thermal profile of wounds changes over the healing trajectory, with higher temperatures signalling potential inflammation or infection and lower temperatures indicating a slower healing rate due to decreased oxygen in the region. So, taking thermal images of wounds can provide important information for predicting how they will heal. What did they do? The study collected VLU data from 56 older participants collected over 12 weeks, including thermal images of their wounds at initial assessment and information on their status at the 12th week follow-up. “Our innovation is not sensitive to changes in ambient temperature and light, so it is effective for nurses to use during their regular visits to people’s homes,” says co-author Dr Quoc Cuong Ngo, from RMIT’s School of Engineering. “It is also effective in tropical environments, not just here in Melbourne.” “Clinical care is provided in many different locations, including specialist clinics, general practices and in people’s homes,” says co-author Dr Rajna Ogrin, a Senior Research Fellow at Bolton Clarke Research Institute. “This method provides a quick, objective, non-invasive way to determine the wound-healing potential of chronic leg wounds that can be used by healthcare providers, irrespective of the setting.” So, what’s next? There are a few limitations to this study. First, the number of healed wounds in the dataset was relatively small compared to unhealed wounds, and the study only investigated older people. The authors recommend that “future research should focus on improving the predictive accuracy and customising this method to incorporate this assessment into clinical practice on a wider pool of participants and in a variety of settings.” Kumar says that they are hoping to adapt the method for use with mobile phones. “With the funding we have received from the Medical Research Future Fund, we are now working towards that,” he says. “We are keen to work with prospective partners with different expertise to help us achieve this goal within the next few years.” <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=222978&title=Could+mobile+phones+revolutionise+chronic+wound+treatment%3F" width="1" height="1" /> <div id="contributors"> <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/revolutionise-chronic-wounds-treatment/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">This article</a> was originally published on Cosmos Magazine and was written by Imma Perfetto. Image: RMIT University </div>

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"> </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

7 tricks to use less phone data – and lower your phone bill

Turn off background app refresh <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/10/01-background-simple-ways-use-less-data-770.jpg" alt="" width="770" height="514" /> When this feature is enabled, your apps are constantly refreshing so that they can show you the most recent content when opened. This includes email synching, weather widgets updating, and feeds refreshing. For the iPhone: Turn off the background app refresh by going to Settings > General > Background App Refresh. For Android: Go to Settings > Data Usage > Restrict app background data. This will allow you to turn the feature off for all apps or you can pick and choose which ones you want to turn off. Disable apps that use a lot of data <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/10/02-disable-simple-ways-use-less-data-770.jpg" alt="" width="770" height="514" /> There are certain apps that use more data than others, whether you use them frequently or not. For ones that you don’t use often, turn off cellular data. For the iPhone: Go to Settings > Cellular > then under “Use Cellular Data For” switch certain apps to off. Turn off app updates <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/10/03-updates-simple-ways-use-less-data-770.jpg" alt="" width="770" height="514" /> If your apps update automatically your phone will start the download whether you are connected to Wi-Fi or not. To turn this off on an iPhone, go to Settings > iTunes & App Stores > turn off Use Cellular Data. For an Android, go to Settings > under General click Auto-update apps > Auto-update apps over Wi-Fi only. Then, your apps will only update when you are connected to Wi-Fi. Turn off Wi-Fi assist <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/10/04-wifi-simple-ways-use-less-data-770.jpg" alt="" width="770" height="514" /> Wi-Fi assist automatically uses your cellular data when the Wi-Fi signal is poor. To disable Wi-Fi assist for an iPhone go to Settings > Cellular > turn off Wi-Fi Assist. Turn off iCloud drive <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/10/05-icloud-simple-ways-use-less-data-770.jpg" alt="" width="770" height="514" /> When iCloud is enabled it is constantly moving documents in and out of the cloud. Use less cell phone data by turning iCloud off. To do this on the iPhone got to Settings > iCloud > turn off iCloud Drive. Download music <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/10/06-download-simple-ways-use-less-data-770.jpg" alt="" width="770" height="514" /> When you are on the go, streaming music, podcasts, or videos can really eat away at your data. Both the iPhone and Android phones let you restrict these apps to Wi-Fi only. Turning this setting on will force you to download them when connected to a Wi-Fi network and then allow for data free listening on the move. Turn off cellular data completely <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/10/07-turn-simple-ways-use-less-data-770.jpg" alt="" width="770" height="514" /> If you know that you are about to reach you data limit or are saving it for the road trip you have coming up, you can simply turn off cellular data. This way, no data will be used, and certain apps will only work if you are connected to a Wi-Fi network. Written by Morgan Cutolo. This article first appeared in <a href="https://www.readersdigest.co.nz/culture/7-tricks-to-use-less-phone-data-and-lower-your-phone-bill" 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.co.nz/c/readersdigestemailsubscribe?utm_source=over60&utm_medium=articles&utm_campaign=RDSUB&keycode=WRA87V" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here’s our best subscription offer.</a> Images: NICOLE FORNABAIO/RD.COM

Technology

"This is shocking": Police slammed over sneaky trap

A New Zealand man has clashed with police after he accused an officer of posing as a window washer to catch drivers using their mobile phones. While he was stopped at a traffic light in Manurewa, South Auckland, the man began filming after noticing an undercover cop in a hoodie standing nearby. "He's the cop who gave me the ticket!" he can be heard telling a friend sitting in the car with him. "This is bad, man. He's pretending to be a window washer!" The passenger then gets out of the car and makes his way toward the officer to “let the public know” what was happening. "Alright guys so we've got police here hiding, pretending to be window washers," he says while standing next to the police officer. "So what they do is they stand here and they dress up in hoodies with a window washer thing and they're looking and trying to get people tickets for fines, maybe phones, seatbelts." Within moments, several other officers approach the man. One officer confirms that the “window washer” was an undercover cop, and when the man questions whether the tactic was “saving lives”, an officer says it was. The man is then told by police that he could film but has to do it from the opposite side of the road so that the undercover operation isn’t interfered with. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> 😂😂😂 wish one of your cousins is the undercover cop lmao? <a href="https://t.co/5QWvlg2hYy">pic.twitter.com/5QWvlg2hYy</a> — Danny (@disndatnz) <a href="https://twitter.com/disndatnz/status/1577420707008417816?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2022</a></blockquote> The hoodie-wearing officer is then encouraged to return to his spot by the side of the road. The clip has since been shared on TikTok and by Today FM, with morning talk show host Duncan Garner speaking to the man’s friend, Neil, who was in the car during the incident. “I've driven up and down the country all the time and I’ve never seen any sort of act like this anywhere apart from there," Neil said. "And the fact that he put on clothes to sort of fit into that area is really quite rude." Stuff reported that NZ Police Inspector Tony Wakelin said the impersonation was inappropriate and that the operation would cease. Meanwhile, social media users have been slamming the police for their “sneaky ways”. "You cannot tell me this isn’t insanely deceptive," one commented. "This is shocking," another shared. "Isn't this entrapment?" a third said. Others defended the operation, saying that the police were just trying to prevent people from doing the wrong thing. "Lord. Get off your phone while you're driving. End of story," one wrote. "No this is good, I have been rear-ended by someone texting and driving," another added. "They are trying to prevent crime and save lives but at the same time they are distracting drivers which can cause accidents," one person shared on Reddit. “So it’s not a good method". Images: Today FM

Legal

Here’s the real reason to turn on aeroplane mode when you fly

We all know the routine by heart: “Please ensure your seats are in the upright position, tray tables stowed, window shades are up, laptops are stored in the overhead bins and electronic devices are set to flight mode”. Now, the first four are reasonable, right? Window shades need to be up so we can see if there’s an emergency, such as fire. Tray tables need to be stowed and seats upright so we can get out of the row quickly. Laptops can become projectiles in an emergency, as the seat back pockets are not strong enough to contain them. And mobile phones need to be set to flight mode so they can’t cause an emergency for the aeroplane, right? Well, it depends whom you ask. <h2>Technology has advanced a great deal</h2> Aviation navigation and communication relies on radio services, which have been coordinated to minimise interference <a href="https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/20050232846/downloads/20050232846.pdf">since the 1920s</a>. The digital technology currently in use is much more advanced than some of the older analogue technologies we used even 60 years ago. <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352146521008851">Research has shown</a>personal electronic devices can emit a signal within the same frequency band as the aircraft’s communications and navigation systems, creating what is known as electromagnetic interference. But in 1992, <a href="https://www.livescience.com/5947-real-reason-cell-phone-banned-airlines.html">the US Federal Aviation Authority</a> and Boeing, <a href="https://www.boeing.com/commercial/aeromagazine/aero_10/interfere_textonly.html">in an independent study</a>, investigated the use of electronic devices on aircraft interference and found no issues with computers or other personal electronic devices during non-critical phases of flight. (Take-offs and landings are considered the critical phases.) The US Federal Communications Commission also began to create <a href="https://www.livescience.com/5947-real-reason-cell-phone-banned-airlines.html">reserved frequency bandwidths</a> for different uses – such as mobile phones and aircraft navigation and communications – so they do not interfere with one another. Governments around the globe developed the same <a href="https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/20050232846/downloads/20050232846.pdf">strategies and policies to prevent interference</a> problems with aviation. In the EU, electronic devices have been <a href="https://www.easa.europa.eu/en/newsroom-and-events/news/easa-allows-electronic-devices-remain-and-connected-throughout-flight">allowed to stay on since 2014</a>. <h2>2.2 billion passengers</h2> Why then, with these global standards in place, has the aviation industry continued to ban the use of mobile phones? One of the problems lies with something you may not expect – ground interference. Wireless networks are connected by <a href="https://www.livescience.com/5947-real-reason-cell-phone-banned-airlines.html">a series of towers</a>; the networks could become overloaded if passengers flying over these ground networks are all using their phones. <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/564717/airline-industry-passenger-traffic-globally/">The number of passengers that flew in 2021</a> was over 2.2 billion, and that’s half of what the 2019 passenger numbers were. The wireless companies might have a point here. Of course, when it comes to mobile networks, the biggest change in recent years is the move to a new standard. Current 5G wireless networks – desirable for their higher speed data transfer – have caused concern for many within the aviation industry. Radio frequency bandwidth is limited, yet we are still trying to add more new devices to it. The aviation industry points out that the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352146521008851">5G wireless network bandwidth spectrum</a> is remarkably close to the reserved aviation bandwidth spectrum, which may cause <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/article/2304975-will-5g-mobile-networks-in-the-us-really-interfere-with-aircraft/">interference with navigation systems near airports</a>that assist with landing the aircraft. Airport operators <a href="https://www.itnews.com.au/news/australian-airports-fret-over-5g-interference-582222">in Australia</a> and <a href="https://www.faa.gov/5g">the US</a> have voiced aviation safety concerns linked to 5G rollout, however it appears to have rolled out without such problems <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2022/01/19/business/5g-aviation-safety-europe/index.html">in the European Union</a>. Either way, it is prudent to limit mobile phone use on planes while issues around 5G are sorted out. <h2>Ultimately, we can’t forget air rage</h2> Most airlines now provide customers with Wi-Fi services that are either pay-as-you-go or free. With new Wi-Fi technologies, passengers could theoretically use their mobile phones to <a href="https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/8010762">make video calls with friends</a> or clients in-flight. On a recent flight, I spoke with a cabin attendant and asked her opinion on phone use during flights. It would be an inconvenience for cabin crew to wait for passengers to finish their call to ask them if they would like any drinks or something to eat, she stated. On an airliner with 200+ passengers, in-flight service would take longer to complete if everyone was making phone calls. For me, the problem with in-flight use of phones is more about the social experience of having 200+ people on a plane, and all potentially talking at once. In a time when disruptive passenger behaviour, including “air rage”, <a href="http://www.jairm.org/index.php/jairm/article/view/156">is increasingly frequent</a>, phone use in flight might be another trigger that changes the whole flight experience. Disruptive behaviours take on various forms, from noncompliance to safety requirements such as not wearing seat belts, verbal altercations with fellow passengers and cabin crew, to physical altercations with passengers and cabin crews – typically identified as air rage. In conclusion – in-flight use of phones does not currently impair the aircraft’s ability to operate. But cabin crews may prefer not to be delayed in providing in-flight service to all of the passengers – it’s a lot of people to serve. However, 5G technology is encroaching on the radio bandwidth of aircraft navigation systems; we’ll need more research <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-5g-puts-airplanes-at-risk-an-electrical-engineer-explains-175306">to answer the 5G question</a> regarding interference with aircraft navigation during landings. Remember that when we are discussing the two most critical phases of flight, take-offs are optional – but landings are mandatory. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/heres-the-real-reason-to-turn-on-aeroplane-mode-when-you-fly-188585" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Travel Tips

Do you clean your phone and other devices? Here’s why you should do it. NOW!

How many different places and things do your hands touch during the day? Now think about how many times you touch your phone… It should be no surprise that many smartphones and tablets are dirtier than a toilet seat. And a study from the University in Surrey has actually proved it. Researchers dipped phones into Petri dishes and watched growths of bacteria flourish and explode. Touchscreen phones were found to be one of the dirtiest surfaces people touch all day – even dirtier than public toilet seat or your pet bowl. Yet our electronic devices – the very ones we tend to use daily – are often the ones we forget to clean. The remedy is clear, just remember to give your phone, tablet and other electronic devices a clean every now and then again. <ol> <li>Turn off your device and unplug any cables, if there are any. Remove cases or covers.</li> <li>The screen of touchscreen devices are often the dirtiest parts. Use a dry, lint-free microfiber cloth (often it comes with your device so it’s a good idea to keep it) because even the softest tissues can scratch the surface. Don’t use any cleaners with alcohol or ammonia on electronic devices. These are too harsh. Lightly dampen cloth and clean touchscreen, shell and camera lens.</li> <li>Clean your keyboard, stylus, mouse and other accessories you often use too. If there’s debris in the ports of your device, do not use compressed air to blast it away as it causes damage. Use a dry paint brush or tooth brush to loosen any dirt.</li> <li>Clean your cases and covers. With plastic cases, use a cleaning wipe or multi-purpose disinfectants or if it’s a leather case, use an appropriate leather cleaner.</li> </ol> Image: Getty Images

Technology

Why it's important to install updates on your device

Ever wondered if installing updates is worth the bother? Here's what you need to know. Whether you use an iPad, tablet, laptop or desktop computer, you have probably been prompted at one point to update your device. While these pop-up boxes may look like the spam you see on websites, they’re far from it. The device you use will have an operating system built into it, so iPads or Mac laptops will operate on Apple’s iOS system while tablets and laptops not made by Apple will run on Windows. Whichever system your device uses, it will eventually need an update. While it can be easy to dismiss the update notifications when they pop up on your screen, here’s why you shouldn’t. What’s the point? When a software program is developed, it is put through tests and quality checks and only once that has been satisfied is it released to the general public. However, once the software is out there in the world, and being used in real-life environments, it can come across little issues which get reported back to the developer. These companies then fix the issues and release the solutions as software updates. For electronic devices, especially laptops and desktop computers, security issues can be a big problem. Software updates include security solutions to malware or hackers, as well as fixes to bugs and any other issues that have occurred since the software was released. Is it different to an upgrade? While they may sound similar, a software update and an upgrade provide two different functions. An update will install a current version of your software to your device, so basically updating your existing version of iOS or Windows. On the other side of the coin is an upgrade, which allows you to upgrade a program to its next major version. Generally, there will be a cost for a software upgrade. How do I get updates? If your device is connected to the internet and it detects an update is available, it will prompt you with a notification message. This will alert you to the fact that an update is available and advise you of the next steps to step, such as clicking on a button on the notification message which will start the process for you. In System Settings on Apple devices and Control Panel for Windows devices, there’s an option where you can turn on automatic updating. This can provide significant benefits, such as improved security and reliability. Ultimately, software updates exist for a reason. While they may take a little while to download and install on your device, they are worth it. So, the next time that grey box pops up on your screen saying there’s an update available, click on it. It’ll keep your tablet or laptop secure and up-to-date with your software’s latest features. Image credits: 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

Morphée review: Will this tiny device help you sleep better?

Sleep is a necessity so often sacrificed, and quality sleep is so hard to achieve when we need it most. As we get older, getting enough sleep is still important, with the <a href="https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/good-nights-sleep#aging" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Institute of Ageing</a> recommending that older adults still aim to get between seven and nine hours of sleep. However, pain, certain medications, feeling sick, stress from daily life (or <a href="https://health.clevelandclinic.org/covid-19-insomnia-tips/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">living through a global pandemic</a>) and even conditions such as Alzheimer’s can affect the quality and quantity of sleep we get each night. This is where sleeping aids such as the Morphée have come in. The tiny sleep aid has quickly grown in popularity within its home country of France and 12 other countries, including Australia - which is no surprise considering how many have reported sleeping poorly during the last two years. As one of those people who has experienced poorer sleep lately, I gave the Morphée a try to see how it stacks up. So many choices, so little time Encased in a beech wooden case (which also makes for a handy stand), the Morphée offers over 200 guided sessions to choose from and makes for an aesthetically pleasing addition to the bedside table. The three brass keys allow you to choose one of the sessions from eight modes (from guided meditations to quiet music), eight different options in each mode, and whether it runs for eight or 20 minutes. <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/03/morphee2.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /> Image: Matt O’Rourke You can even choose to be guided by a male or female voice, and start, stop and control the volume of the session from several buttons and switches along the side of the device. If guided meditation isn’t really your thing, the nature soundscapes and selection of music are soothing and varied enough so that you have plenty of choice. The fact that each sound comes from a different location around the world is also a nice touch - the Swedish log fire and purring Burmese cat in a Parisian apartment were definitely my favourites. Does it work? Having tried the Morphée on my own and with my partner, who also struggles to get to sleep, I can say it largely works, but that it involves a decent amount of trial and error. We began with the nature sounds ahead of a mid-afternoon nap, and found that it helped us get to sleep more easily. My partner noted it was easier to focus on the sounds rather than attempt to drift off in silence, and that before he knew it, he was asleep. Next, I tried the specific nap setting with the hope of re-energising with a quick power nap after work. Starting with a four-minute relaxation period, with a soothing voice helping to focus on breathing and sinking into the bed, you can choose between an eight and 20-minute silent nap session ending with nature sounds to wake you up. Initially, I found it hard to focus, but after just a few minutes I was ready to fall asleep. Since I’m a heavy sleeper that only the loudest of alarms can wake, the gentle sounds of nature failed to wake me up, and my 20 minute nap became closer to an hour-long one. With that in mind, having longer napping options and different wake-up settings to choose from might be a good addition for heavy snoozers like me. The same night, we tried a body scan with a visualisation exercise. Unlike other body scans, which draw your attention to various areas of the body, this particular one leaned more towards breathing and visualising a mountain scene. I still found it quite relaxing and that it helped me wind down for the night, but my partner ended up feeling significantly worse than when he got into bed - an experience shared by about <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/article/2251840-mindfulness-and-meditation-can-worsen-depression-and-anxiety/">one in 12</a> people who try mindfulness meditation and particularly by those <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/choosing-your-meditation-style/202006/trauma-informed-mindfulness" target="_blank" rel="noopener">who are trauma survivors</a>. So overall, the modes I tried were successful and have left me looking forward to testing the rest, while my partner enjoyed the nature soundscapes and music, but will steer clear of the body scans and other modes with vocal guidance. Sound quality and other notes Although intended for helping you drift to sleep, I found the Morphée was also quite effective as background noise during the day while working or settling in with a good book. Though more of a nitpick than an outright con, the sound was rather tinny when I was using the Morphée’s speakers. Luckily this is only a short-lived problem while you’re falling asleep. Meanwhile, using wired headphones was a whole different situation, and was particularly immersive for the nature sounds. <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/03/morphee1.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /> Image: Matt O’Rourke However, the totally analog technology means that Bluetooth earphones won’t be compatible. I found this made using the Morphée slightly daunting, as I was worried I would fall asleep while listening and run the risk of being tangled up in my headphones. Final verdict Retailing at $149, the Morphée initially feels like a pricey purchase. But after giving it a try, seeing how many options it offers, and its absence of bright screens, it feels like an investment that will be worth it over time, especially when it’s priced similarly to yearly subscriptions for popular apps such as Headspace and Calm. Though it might not be a cure for sleep problems, it works as a tool to help you relax and be more mindful before bed, all while enjoying a better night’s sleep. In summary, here are some pros and cons to consider if you’re looking to try the Morphée for yourself or gift it to someone else: Pros <ul> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Portable and handy protective cover/stand </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Beautiful and functional design </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Plenty of sounds and modes to choose from </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Excellent battery life, helped by the fact it turns itself off </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Can be used for more than just sleeping </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Sounds amazing with headphones </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Makes for a great gift for the poor sleepers in your life </li> </ul> Cons <ul> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> The tiny buttons and text might be a challenge for some </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Sound is slightly tinny </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> A setting longer than 20 minutes would be a nice bonus </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Difficult to fall asleep if using wired headphones </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Not compatible with Bluetooth or wireless headphones </li> </ul> The <a href="https://www.morphee.co/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Morphée</a> is available to purchase from Officeworks, JB Hi-Fi, Amazon AU, and Temple & Webster for $149. Unfortunately, the Morphée isn’t available in New Zealand yet, but here’s hoping that will change soon. Image: Supplied

Technology

What hackers can do with just your phone number

Your number can be used in many malicious ways Your phone number is an easy-to-find key that can be used by hackers and scammers to unlocking your personal data. They can also use your number in many other malicious ways. I used to think that maybe, at best, a person could possibly find my name and address using my phone number. I was wrong. Recently, someone I don’t know used my phone number to find out the private details of my life, then emailed me everything they had discovered. With just my phone number this person found out where I live, my previous addresses, information on if I’ve ever been evicted, some personal financial information, a map of my neighbourhood, and my birth date. They even found the only speeding ticket I’ve ever had, way back in 2006. It was disturbing, to say the least. I felt, and still feel, violated. I reported the person to the social media site they contacted me through and blocked them, but is there more I can do? After contacting some security experts for their take, it turns out that finding important details about someone’s life with just a phone number is incredibly alarmingly easy…and profitable. “In the wrong hands, your phone number can be used to steal your identity and take over almost every online account you have,” Veronica Miller, cybersecurity expert at VPN overview, tells Reader’s Digest. There are several ways a hacker can use a phone number to turn your life upside down. Here are some ways criminals can target you. Data mining the easy way The easiest way to use your phone number maliciously is by simply typing it into a people search site. Sites like these can reveal personal information about you in less than a few seconds, according to tech expert Burton Kelso. People search sites, purchase your personal information and then sell it to people who want your data, like hackers with your phone number. The information found through these sites includes your address, bankruptcies, criminal records and family member’s names and addresses. All of this can be used for blackmail, stalking, doxing or identity theft. Rerouting your number Another tactic is to contact your mobile carrier provider claiming to be you, said Miller. Then, the hacker can make it so your number routes to their phone. From there, the hacker will log into your email account. Of course, they don’t have your password, but they don’t need it. They just click “Forgot your password” and get the reset link sent to their phone that now uses your phone number. Once the hacker has access to your email account, it’s easy to gain access to any of your accounts. While many service providers have some security features to prevent scammers from switching phones, if the person has your phone number, though, they may be able to find enough information about you to get past the security questions. Spoofing There were billions of scam calls in 2019, according to data collected by YouMail, and scammers are getting smarter. Now they are using a technique called spoofing to make it easier to scam you. Spoofing is when someone makes your phone number pop up on a caller ID when it really isn’t you that’s making the call. For example, a scammer once spoofed my daughter’s phone number to make me think she was calling me. The goal was to trick me into answering the phone. It worked, because what if it was an emergency and my daughter needed me? When a scammer gets you to pick up, they have the chance to trick you into whatever scheme they’ve come up with, like tricking you into giving them your credit card information. It doesn’t take much to spoof a phone number. There are apps and websites that allow scammers to simply type in a phone number and make a call. It’s super easy and quick, which makes it appealing to scammers. Texting scams Scammers can also use your phone number to send you malicious text messages. This type of scam is called ‘smishing’, according to digital privacy expert Ray Wallsh. In these texts, scammers can send links that can infect your phone with malware that can steal your personal information, or they can straight-up scam you by pretending to be your bank, the IRS, or your doctor. Posing as someone you trust, the scammers will then try to trick you into giving them personal information and credit card numbers. How to protect yourself All of the experts I contacted recommended that to combat your phone number being misused, share it as little as possible. “Many apps and services require a cell number for verification at sign up. By handing your data to these apps, services and businesses, you increase the likelihood that your phone number will be passed on to third parties and data aggregators,” said Wallsh. Limit giving out your phone number to friends and family and your doctor. For everyone else, you need a virtual number that can forward calls to your phone so you don’t need to give anyone your real number that is linked to your personal information. You can set up a virtual number for free through Google Voice or through services like Burner. Also, never click on links sent to you in text messages, even if they look like they were sent from a trusted contact. If your bank, credit card company, doctor or service you use contacts you through text, call them using a verified number from their website to confirm the communication was truly sent from them to avoid malware or scams. To protect yourself from hackers rerouting your number, ask your mobile carrier to add an extra layer of security like a password or PIN number to your account, advises Miller. All of these steps can help keep your personal information private, but it only works to a point. Your personal data has probably already been sold to people search sites and while you can send these sites requests to remove your information, it’s a huge task. Plus, the site may simply repost your information later. So, in the end, there may not be a way to completely prevent hackers and scammers from getting access to your phone number. Knowing what someone can do with your number, though, can help you avoid scams and protect your information from being more widely spread. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.readersdigest.co.nz/true-stories-lifestyle/science-technology/what-hackers-can-do-with-just-your-phone-number" target="_blank">Reader's Digest</a>.

Technology

Here’s how to charge your phone faster

Switch into aeroplane mode A quick way to keep the battery from draining so quickly is to switch it to plane mode. You won’t be able to get texts or search online, but you’ll save power because your phone won’t be constantly searching for a cellular or WiFi connection. Turn it off There’s no better way to make sure all the power goes directly to your battery than making sure there’s no competition for it by switching it off. Alternatively, leave your phone in low power mode. You can find it in settings. Sometimes it’s known as battery saver mode. Plug it into a wall socket The USB port of your computer may be convenient when you’re working remotely, but an outlet will charge your phone faster. This is because USB ports usually only charge at 0.5 amps, so it’s going to take twice as long to charge your phone than the one amp power adapter it came with. Use a powerful wall charger It can also be helpful to have a charger that works faster than the one that comes with your phone, such as a rapid charger. Just find an outlet, plug it in in, and connect it to your phone. Keep a charged battery pack handy For those situations when you know you’re going to be away from a traditional power source, buying a battery pack is a good idea. Just make sure to plan for it in advance, so you can charge the battery pack before you leave. Get your phone out of the sun Avoid exposing your phone to temperatures above 35º Celsius. The heat can damage your battery capacity, and your phone’s software may limit charging to about 80% when the phone gets hotter than the recommended temperature. Take your phone out of the case If you notice that your phone gets hot when you charge it, take it out of its case. “Charging your device when it’s inside certain styles of cases may generate excess heat, which can affect battery capacity,” according to Apple. Clean out your lightning port The problem may not be with the power of your battery itself. Over time, lint and dust can accumulate in your lightning port (that’s where you plug your charger into your phone) and clog it. CNET recommends turning your phone off and using a toothpick to gently remove any debris from the port. Then plug in your charger again and see if it works better. Get a powerful wireless charger For a quick juice boost, look for a charger with high wattage. “The higher the number of watts, the faster your device will charge,” Macworld reports. The typical chargers that come with iPhones and older Androids carry one amp of current and produce five watts of power, according to the consumer blog Techlicious. But “new rapid chargers with technology such as Quick Charge support two amps and 12 watts or more, potentially charging your phone up to four times faster.” Get a wireless charging pad Though wired charging is faster, wireless charging is also a good option. Invest in a charging case For an ongoing solution to ensure you can charge your phone quickly, consider getting a charging case. Some models can extend your battery’s life for 22 hours. They come in a range of prices and designs. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared in <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.readersdigest.co.nz/true-stories-lifestyle/science-technology/heres-how-to-charge-your-phone-faster?pages=1" target="_blank">Reader's Digest</a>.

Technology

Cracking the code of unbreakable phone screens

<div class="copy"> Unbreakable phone screens might seem too good to be true, but some chemical engineers reckon they’ve cracked the secret, developing a new material that combines glass with nanocrystals to make a resilient screen that would produce high-quality images in phones, LEDs and computers. The breakthrough substance could even be used to make phone screens that double as solar panels. The technology revolves around <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/science/overcoming-atomic-level-perovskite-defects/" target="_blank">perovskites</a>: nanometre-sized crystals that have a range of exciting electrical properties, making them prime candidates for better solar cells, LEDs and touchscreens. While perovskites have had a few early commercial successes, their physical properties have mostly stopped them from getting far out of the lab. “The stability of perovskites is the most difficult challenge which has hindered their commercialisation,” says Professor Lianzhou Wang, a materials scientist at the University of Queensland and co-author on a paper describing the research, <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="http://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abf4460" target="_blank">published</a> in Science. Lead author Dr Jingwei Hou, also from UQ, says the material is “super sensitive to almost everything – oxygen, water, gas, temperature, and even sensitive to light. “I think it’s a fantastic material, but it doesn’t really make sense if we want to use it on a solar panel, or display, if it’s sensitive to light.” The researchers have overcome this sensitivity by figuring a way to encase lead-halide perovskites in glass. “We created a lot of very small, nano-sized pores within the glass,” explains Hou. “That offers a very nice host material environment for the perovskite. “If we just put those very small nanocrystals within the pores, they will be not only stabilised against all of the external environment…it also makes the perovskite somewhere between 100 to 1000 times more efficient.” At the level of nanometres, the material resembles a chocolate chip cookie. “The perovskite nanocrystals are the chocolate chips, and the glass surrounds them,” says Hou. The material is also much more durable than normal glass. “Conventional glass is so brittle [because] it’s really dense. If you zoom in and look at the molecular structure, it’s silicon, aluminium, oxygen – very densely packed atoms,” says Hou. “Once you apply any pressure or any mechanical force to it, there’s no way to get it relaxed, and that’s what leads to the breakage of chemical bonds.” The pores, on the other hand, allow the glass to absorb more stress. “This is really a kind of platform technology,” says Hou. “The pore size can be tuned, the chemistry can be tuned. So that means it can be used to host a different type of perovskite.” In the paper, the international team of researchers – who are based at the University of Leeds and the University of Cambridge in the UK, and Université Paris-Saclay in France – demonstrate several different types of “lead halide perovskite and metal-organic framework glasses”, all of which they’ve been able to create. As well as their potential applications in screens and LEDs, the glasses could be used to make higher-quality X-ray images and more efficient solar panels. “We’re looking at trying to combine a solar panel with a display,” says Hou. “Think about mobile phones, for example – when you use it, it will become a display. When you don’t use it, put it in the sunlight, it will charge the battery. So it’s one device for two functions.” Manufacture of the material is scalable, according to Hou, and the researchers are currently looking at building prototype devices with it. “We’re really confident that we’ll be able to generate devices in the next stage,” says Hou. “We are also looking for some industrial collaborators who are really interested in bringing this exciting material into the real world.” Image credits: Shutterstock  <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=171112&title=Cracking+the+code+of+unbreakable+phone+screens" alt="" width="1" height="1" />  </div> <div id="contributors"> This article was originally published on <a rel="noopener" href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/technology/materials/unbreakable-phone-screens/" target="_blank">cosmosmagazine.com</a> and was written by Ellen Phiddian. </div>

Technology

The iconic Nokia 3310 turns 21

It is widely known as the toughest substance on Earth, and became a staple in international households. The Nokia 3310 mobile phone was released in September 2000, and is now celebrating its 21st anniversary. The device boasted a black and white display, enough memory to save eight numbers in call logs, and zero capabilities that smartphones offer today. The phone became an iconic early 2000s reference with many millennials referring to the device as “a brick”, as the body seemed completely unbreakable. Some people may even remember the miraculous tale of a Nokia 3310 surviving a fall from the second storey of a building completely unscathed. Another classic feature of the device was the simple, but completely addictive game of Snake, that would keep users entertained for hours. Nokia 3310 owners could also customise their own ringtones, to play slightly different variations of the same tune when a call was incoming. Many phone users today still think of the device’s extraordinary battery life, which could last over two days: completely winning against modern day smartphone batteries that last a mere 12 hours (if you’re lucky). The phone received so much love and attention over the years that a 4G version of the Nokia 3310 was released a few years ago, but the buzz of the revival version didn’t garner as much attention as the original. With modern day smartphones having unlimited capabilities, it is interesting to see why the Nokia 3310 still gets recognised on a global scale. From all its unique quirks and early 2000s charm, it has mostly become a pop culture staple and distinct timestamp of the technology revolution. Image credit: Shutterstock

Technology

The real reason we have to use flight mode on a plane

With flying for vaccinated passengers looking like it will happen soon, we could be back on a plane some time soon and putting our phone on flight mode is always one of the things we have to do when we get in our seat. Most of us think if we don’t do this as soon as possible, there could be a major problem somehow but we don’t really know why we have to do it. Sometimes we think - does it even matter? But now, thanks to TikTok, we finally have the answers from a flight attendant called Cierra Mistt who’s shared the real reason we must put our phone on flight mode. Already her TikTok video has gathered more than 1.7 million views. As Mistt says in her video: “There are approximately 45,000 flights that happen every single day, with about 2.9 million passengers on board,” she explains in the video. “And how does all this flying happen successfully? Believe it or not, pilots actually aren’t in charge of flying.” Mistt explains that although the pilot is operating the plane, it’s the communication between the ground and the pilot which is even more critical. “From the moment the boarding door closes to the moment we’re landing, the pilots are following specific instructions given to them by a group of people on the ground called Air Traffic Control,” she says. “In order for the pilot to be able to communicate with air traffic control, they use frequencies. Yep, just like the frequencies we use to send messages, stream video and insta-stalk our fave influencers on our phones,” she adds. Cierra goes on to explain that sometimes these frequencies collide, causing a complete loss of signal. “Picture how bad it would be for a pilot, who is taking directions from ATC on the ground to all of a sudden lose signal and [need to] start flying blindly. All because the frequency of a passenger’s phone has intercepted it.” Many commented, thanking her for the explanation Mistt received a lot of comments and thanks for the fact that she finally explained the full reason behind the need to use flight mode. As well, there were one or two sceptics and clarifications from experts in the field, particularly around the terminology used in the video. One electrical engineer said the real reason for flight mode was “unintended radio waves emitted by phones and other devices” or “intended radio waves being inadvertently picked up by the pilot’s equipment”. He added that nowadays, “our devices don’t emit or accept unintended waves as much” and questioned whether flight mode was still “absolutely necessary”, but added: “Out of caution, do it.” So, after watching this video, it’s great that we know more about why we need to use flight mode – and given it’s such a small, simple thing to do, it hardly seems like a big thing to ask of passengers. Photo: Shutterstock

Domestic Travel

New inhalable device could be lifesaving for new mums

A new inhalable product more than a decade in the making could save the lives of tens of thousands of new mothers. The device, developed by Melbourne researchers, looks like a small whistle and allows oxytocin to be inhaled rather than injected, to prevent postpartum haemorrhages. Postpartum haemorrhages happen when a new mother experiences excessive blood loss after giving birth. As the leading cause of maternal mortality globally, these haemorrhages occur in up to 18 percent of births and result in an estimated 60,000 deaths each year across the world. Oxytocin is the <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.aafp.org/afp/2007/0315/p875.html" target="_blank">recommended first choice</a> for preventing postpartum haemorrhage due to its greater effectiveness in comparison to other drugs and has fewer side effects, and is currently administered via an injection. Researchers from the Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Monash University partnered with Johnson & Johnson have developed a new inhalable form of oxytocin that, unlike the injectable form, doesn’t need to be refrigerated, making it a less invasive and easier to distribute option for developing countries. “Many women in Australia will receive an oxytocin injection after every childbirth to prevent or lower risk of postpartum haemorrhages,” project leader Michelle McIntosh said. “We needed something that was really low cost and simple to use, but just as effective.” The World Health Organisation recommends every woman in the world to be given an injection of oxytocin after they give birth, but Professor McIntosh said this isn’t always possible. “Unfortunately, in a lot of low-resource settings, having access to someone present when you give birth, someone who is trained to give an injection and a product that has been maintained in cold storage, is very challenging.” Even in Australia, Professor McIntosh said the rate of postpartum haemorrhages has been increasing significantly. “While our focus has always been on low-resource settings, obstetricians in Australia and other developed countries [are] also quite keen to look at inhaled oxytocin,” she said. “That’s because it would take away the risk of needlestick injuries, it’s less invasive than a painful intramuscular injection and there are cohorts of patients we think would benefit from inhaled administration.” Clinical trials of the device, which could still be several years away from commercial use, have been funded by the Victorian government’s Medical Research Acceleration Fund, which allows researchers to develop new healthcare solutions in partnership with experts from Johnson & Johnson. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Research and innovation to address the leading cause of maternal mortality 💕 Excited about our ongoing partnership <a href="https://twitter.com/JNJInnovation?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JNJInnovation</a> Wonderful to visit <a href="https://twitter.com/MIPS_Australia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MIPS_Australia</a> Thanks to Delia for sharing her story with <a href="https://twitter.com/bridgerollo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@bridgerollo</a> <a href="https://t.co/4lPRvIC8h7">https://t.co/4lPRvIC8h7</a> — Jaala Pulford MP (@JaalaPulford) <a href="https://twitter.com/JaalaPulford/status/1415507837925531651?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 15, 2021</a></blockquote> “When medtech, biotech, and pharmaceutical businesses innovate, they change lives,” said Victoria’s Minister for Innovation, Medical Research and the Digital Economy, Jaala Pulford. “This new powder is going to be an extraordinary additional tool for women and their doctors and midwives and nurses [to deal] with something that comes on very suddenly and would be extremely terrifying.” Image: Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences / Twitter

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