13 Common Myths And Misconceptions About Devices We Continue To Believe

By Andrew Alpin, 1 April 2018

As advanced as it may be, technology is also highly confusing. We purchase phones taking into account different criteria based on our own individual needs. Some buy a phone for a faster processor; others purchase one for camera quality while others do so for memory. But in our quest for the latest features, we end up misunderstanding how they actually work and what impact they actually have on the activities we want to perform with the device. Sometimes, it doesn’t work the way we feel it should and all because of our own misconceptions about devices. The internet is no help and confuses people endlessly with innumerous reviews contradicting each other. But let’s take look at the most common misconceptions myths about devices and how they work.

1Myth 1: More megapixels means better pictures

This myth I stopped believing years ago when my 2 MP Motorola took some fabulous pictures as opposed to the latest smartphones with 16 mp cameras. There is hardly a difference. The amount of megapixels does not influence a camera’s picture quality nor enhances the beauty of a photo.

 

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Megapixels only increase image size

Megapixels only increase the size of images and there are other factors that impact the quality of a picture like sensor size, optics and light. The most important one is light. With sufficient light, your Smartphone camera will give you excellent pictures as opposed to low light situations. This is why outdoor pictures are always sharper with excellent clarity than indoor ones irrespective of your phone being an 8 megapixel or 16-megapixel phones. 

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2Myth. 2: Don’t leave your phone charging overnight or the battery will get damaged

All modern smartphones have Lithium-ion batteries. Once they are fully charged, they will stop drawing power and charging. However, once the phone is done charging, it may draw a bit of power which means the only reason why you should disconnect your phone is to conserve energy and not because of battery damage. 

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3Myth 3: If your reception is good, you get better sound quality

A good indication of reception or signal doe does not necessarily mean your phone is going to give you excellent sound clarity. The indicator only shows signal strength. It is not a representation of internet speed or sound quality. If there are innumerous phones using the same signal, you may also have bad reception even with a full signal. 

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4Myth 4: Viruses don’t attack Mac computers

No computer is ever safe from viruses unless they have firm anti viruse software in place. There are various theories doing the rounds why Macs are immune to viruses. Virus creators usually create a virus intended for windows which is the most popular operating system and this could have been the only reason why Mac Computers don’t get affected much with viruses, it does not mean the machine itself is immune to an attack. If a Mac virus happens to attack a machine, it will also malfunction like all others. 

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5Myth 5. The incognito mode on your browser protects your data

Hogwash again. Most people don’t even read what the browser says in incognito mode. The mode only deletes locally stored data. External websites and internet providers can still easily track your data. 

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6Myth 6. Clicking “Refresh” makes activity and tasks faster

You may have seen how even unskilled so-called service men keep clicking on the refresh button. There are many people who also click on the refresh option when a computer goes slow or sticks. Sometimes you may also see a recently renamed folder after clicking “refresh” but that isn’t so because that 2 seconds is all your computer needs to read the new file and it seems that the refresh just made it work faster instead. 

 

7Myth 7: You should only use original chargers

Original chargers are compatible with your phone, that’s true, but if the alternate charger you may be using is a quality product that will not present a threat to your laptop or phone, then there is no problem using it. Always ensure you use an alternate charger of high quality from a branded manufacturer.

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8Myth 8: You should always disconnect the USB correctly

If there is no activity being performed on the USB drive, you can just disconnect it without the extra hassle of eject. Choosing the safe remove option is necessary when saving items because your computer then checks all changes have been saved and that there is no transfer going on with the USB. 

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9Myth 9: You can’t charge your phone until the battery is completely drained

Not many even bother to abide by this myth which surprisingly is advice from many. This advice is irrelevant for lithium-ion batteries that are best kept at 60-80% charge. You don’t need to wait till the battery drains completely before charging your phone again. 

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10Myth 10. Airport scanners can damage memory cards

The X-ray scanners used by security in an airport cannot damage a memory card or wipe out data; however, they can damage the film of a non-digital camera. 

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11Myth 11. You have to charge a new phone for more than 8 hours

This is usually the advice many ship-owners will give you when you purchase a new phone. But, this is not necessary. This was the case when Nickel-cadmium or Nicad batteries were used and which had a chemical memory. This memory made it impossible to charge them again beyond the time of the first charge. Li-ion batteries don’t have that same problem. 

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12Myth12. Androids are full of Malware

iPhone users feel that Androids are a wild west of malware which isn’t the case. It may be true that Androids have the potential to invite more threats and risks but as long as you don’t keep downloading apps that are not recognized your are safe. Moreover Android has several firm security measures in place for protection. There is also Google play protect that warns of spurious apps carrying malware. 

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13Myth 13. Cell phones give you brain cancer

Among myths about devices, this is probably the most famous scare of all time since the invention of the cell phone. Till date no research data has linked cellphones top brain cancer. Even a study in the UK took 11 long years to finally conclude it doesn’t. 

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But be careful of using phones at night

However, the blue light emanating from the screen can impact sleep in adults and children causing insomnia. The light affects melatonin production and delays sleep. 

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