Tech myths you need to stop believing

Artificial intelligence (AI) may automate certain roles, but it is not expected to leave the masses unemployed. At a minimum, there certainly will be roles in data gathering, processing and oversight. And more jobs related to all the new technologies will be created.

“Although AI (artificial intelligence) is likely to make certain jobs obsolete, it is primed to create just as many, if not more jobs,” explains Akash Ganapathi, co-founder and CEO of Trill A.I., a financial technology company.

“While the loss of certain types of jobs seems scary, it’s important to remember that there have always been certain roles that fall to the wayside with the rise of a new technology,” Ganapathi says. “With the steam engine, with the assembly line, with the Internet, many jobs became unnecessary. But these technologies brought with them economic growth and opportunities for new jobs, and people adapted.”

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There is a little truth to this. In 2017, Apple admitted its phones with older batteries run slower with each iOS update. But Jeff Kelley, an iOS Developer with Detroit Labs, doesn’t see anything nefarious.

“You may have noticed that your phone tends to get slower when a new version of the device is released,” he says. “Some may believe it’s an intentional effort by tech companies forcing you to upgrade, but there’s likely a better explanation.

“New versions of the operating system and the apps that run on it are designed to work seamlessly with the hardware inside new models. So it makes sense that older devices start to become more sluggish since the software isn’t optimised to run on them.”

Here’s how the tech giant explained it in a statement to The Verge: “Lithium-ion batteries become less capable of supplying peak current demands when in cold conditions, have a low battery charge or as they age over time, which can result in the device unexpectedly shutting down to protect its electronic components.” So the likely solution to phone issues is replacing the battery, not the entire device.

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“A common misconception among consumers is that surfing the web in private browsing mode is safer or more private than using your browser normally,” says Joel Wallenstrom, a cybersecurity expert. “Traditionally, private browsing mode prevents the websites you visit from appearing in your search history.

“It is important to realise that it does not necessarily protect against malware, prevent your Internet service provider from seeing the website that you visited, or stop third-parties from tracking your movements around the web.”

If you’re looking for that type of enhanced privacy, a combination of ad-blocking software, a referer control and a virtual private network (VPN) and will do the trick. There are good, free extensions available for the first two, but you’ll need to pay for a VPN service if you don’t want your browsing history sold to third-parties as payment for the “free” service.

“New doesn’t always mean better,” explains tech expert Sarah Graham. “Newer versions of tech devices come out every day, even when the previous version was better.”

“With ‘Bring Your Own Device’ policies at workplaces, you’re given access to IPs and other data that are crucial to how your company operates,” explains Dan Moyer, marketing manager for Cal Net Technology Group.

“As a result, organisations need to rethink their defensive models and get proactive with their approach to IT, especially when it comes to their disaster recovery plans. After all, you don’t want to be the one who brought down your company’s network for an entire day simply because you clicked on a phishing email over the weekend!”

A plan that relies on employees working from home for an unspecified amount of time won’t survive attacks that target key individuals or remove connectivity altogether. If your company has a BYOD policy, educate yourself on the best practices to avoid cybersecurity threats.

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“It’s not bad to charge your phone to 100 percent, just be sure to take it off the charger when it’s at capacity,” says Matt Paliafito, senior category manager at Batteries Plus Bulbs. “The largest drain on your battery comes from brightness and streaming videos. Don’t wait till your phone dies to charge it – your battery has a finite number of cycles and every time it dies, another one gets used up!”

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“The biggest myth by far is ‘I am not a target,’” explains Jason McNew, CISSP, CEO and founder of Stronghold Cyber Security. “Unfortunately, everyone and everything is a target, because the tools that hackers, cybercriminals, and state-backed actors such as China’s PLA (Peoples Liberation Army) use are largely automated.

“Even if the targets are not useful or interesting, they will break in and steal data anyway, and will usually leave behind a back door of some kind, to use for attacks against other networks.”

“The average household has $265 worth of unused gadgets — those that are lying around, collecting dust in junk drawers,” says Brian Morris from Flipsy.com, who added that iPhones or old Galaxy models could definitely score you some bucks. “Many people do not sell their old phones; in fact, last Christmas we estimated nearly $21 billion [in the US] went unclaimed by people who did not sell their old phones after receiving new phones for Christmas gifts.”

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Source: RD.com