Top 5 Myths About Technology

In this throwaway world of disposable goods, there’s a cheap version of nearly every conceivable electronic. As you may have learned when you bought that $50 off-brand tablet, your knock-off GoPro that lasted 2 weeks, or that no-name PC that keeps freezing… you often get what you pay for. Cheap electronics are usually cheaply made and perform poorly. Although that’s a good general rule to bear in mind when shopping, HDMI cables are a notable exception. You can spend $5 or $200 on a cable, but as far as home use goes, you won’t notice a lick of difference in terms of picture or audio quality.

Ahhh buzzwords. In any given consumer industry, it’s important to give the people a figure for them to whip out and compare with fellow enthusiasts. Now, it would be misleading to dismiss megapixels outright. Of course resolution matters, but as we’re seeing with smartphone screens, at a certain resolution, quality increase is indiscernible. There are plenty of cameras out there that boast a high megapixel count with otherwise lackluster specs, ultimately cripplingly the product’s potential in ways that high resolution can’t compensate for. Many cameras with lower resolution have larger, higher quality sensors, which often provide better results. Lens quality, image stabilizing software and the digital camera’s image processor can all make or break a device.

As some of you may already know, the old “you have to let your devices run out of battery completely before recharging them” rule is a thing of the past. The widespread adoption of lithium-ion and polymer cells has made that practice not only outdated, but a generally bad habit. What that doesn’t mean however, is that you can leave your devices, like your laptop, plugged in indefinitely. If you laptop is fully charged, for the love of battery life, unplug it! Charging a fully charged laptop puts unneeded stress on the battery, especially if the laptop is in use and tends to run hot. As with most things… balance is key.

There is some truth to this myth, but the media has seriously exaggerated the dangers of laptops, and the findings of research. The reality is laptops, if used literally and kept on the lap for extended periods of time, have been found to increase scrotal temperature. Increased heat in the testicles does negatively affect fertility. But the same applies to saunas, hot tubs, long rigorous bike rides and more. Laptops, if used extensively, should be placed on a surface, not in your lap. Laptops are no more inherently problematic than any other heat source that may impact the testicular temperature. According to Dr. Andrew Weil at the University of Arizona, laptops are “probably not the greatest threat to male fertility”.

We know... there are signs at gas stations telling you not to use your cellphone for this very reason. But honestly, it seems like the world is so afraid of gasoline fires (rightfully so) that they’d rather perpetuate a myth than risk seeing it become fact. A news story about an explosion in New York City, which was allegedly started by a young man answering his phone and igniting the vapors, is often cited as proof. While certainly an interesting story… it’s the only reported one. And upon further review, 2nd assistant fire chief Patrick Koch determined the cell phone was most likely NOT the cause. The more realistic danger is static electricity, which people should discharge before pumping.