10 Technology Myths Busted

More emphasis should be given to the number of cores in a processor than the processor speed. You will hardly notice any difference between a 2.5 GHz CPU and 2.0 GHz processor. However, a dual-core and quad-core processor will have noticeable difference while working.

Technological development over the years has a parallel development of myths. These stories constantly do their rounds in the techie and non-techie circle alike. These fabricated stories are nothing but myths that are mistaken to be real facts. These myths are a result of poor understanding of tech basics and misinterpreted study results.

Mac computers are based on UNIX, and thus, many people, including Apple, claimed that their computers were least susceptible as far as malware was concerned.

They even had this claim written on their website. However, when Apple recently updated their website, they removed this claim due to increasing malware attacks on Mac computers. Even the anti-virus software maker, Sophos confirmed that about 2.6 percent of Macs were infected due to malware attacks.

Well, well ... I don't think people who have used an iPhone for a few days will fall for this myth! The apps that are seen when the home button is pressed are the ones that are recently used. They are already terminated, and removing them from the home screen bar will make no difference to the battery.

The main feature of an iPhone is that if you have exited the app and started working on the home page, it will shut down the app on its own, after a few seconds. How much battery life are you gonna lose in 5 seconds or so?

If you are using nickel-cadmium or nickel-metal hydride rechargeable batteries, then this statement may hold true. However, the new lithium-ion polymer batteries don't have the concept of recharging until full charge and discharge cycle.

They can be charged anytime, and the drained battery will be recharged. Moreover, waiting till the battery completely drains out, and then charging it can be harsh on the battery, thus decreasing its performance.

Most of us follow this myth while using our computers. However, experts differ on this point. According to them, the waiting period before the reboot is necessary to restore the health of the hard drive. We all know that hard drive plates run at super speeds of 7200 rpm or even higher. For these plates to come to a halt, waiting before the reboot is necessary. However, the "exact 15 seconds rule" is not defined.

Everything that we do with our computers is stored on the hard drive. If you have just used the personal banking website and entered confidential data there, this data is stored on the hard drive. When we delete some data from our computer, it may no longer be visible to the user, but it is present on the hard drive.

Only the memory space that this data occupied is deleted and reallotted to other data. So, when you plan to sell off your old computer, there are chances that your data is still present on the hard drive, which is pretty much retrievable.

One solution suggested by Geek Squad Agent Ismael Matos is to remove the hard drive from the machine and drill holes through it, in a scattered manner. This will solve the problem.

This statement remains a myth, unless you are using an old computer. The new lithium-ion polymer batteries don't get damaged by continuously plugging it to the AC power source. In fact, it is better to keep the laptop plugged in rather than continuously draining the battery to zero power and then recharging it.

We have long since ditched analog storage devices and moved on to the world of 1s and 0s, thinking that data on the digital storage medium is safe and lasts for a longer time. However, the contrary holds true. Data on the digital storage media is at a higher risk of getting corrupted, and CDs can start breaking in about three years.

The simple fact here is that any signal will need power to get transmitted. This means that if your phone is switched off, the GPS signals cannot be transmitted.

However, if you have intentionally introduced a malware that keeps your phone powered on, even when it is presumed to be switched off, the statement holds true. So, you are practically untraceable if your phone is switched off.

It is believed that radio frequency signals that the cell phones emit are carcinogenic, if one uses them for a long time. According to the 2008-2009 Annual Report of the President's Cancer Panel, "Reducing Environmental Cancer Risk," no direct relation between cell phone usage and cancer was found out. Scientists do not have any proof about this statement, and thus, it can be safely termed as a myth.

This one actually took me by surprise. A few people believe that placing laptops on a man's lap will reduce his fertility! First and foremost, no one can ever place the laptop close to his testes and be comfortable enough to use the laptop. How can he ever type having the laptop so close to his waist? Research shows that radio frequencies cannot break DNA modules and thus, reduction in fertility is not possible.

Switching on and off the computer regularly is bad for it: In fact, it is suggested that you should turn off the computer on a regular basis to give it the much-needed rest time.

Your ISP has all your data stored: Storing data regarding web surfing and online chats is very expensive, and thus, ISPs do not have any record of your data.

More megapixels means better picture quality: Digital size is affected by megapixels, not quality. Only if you zoom in, you may slightly notice the pixel difference.

Magnets erase data when placed close to a computer: Recording or storing of data on an HDD does not need a magnetic field. So, the magnet will not have any consequence on the data. However, magnets higher than 1.1 Tesla may reverse the polarity and effect code on HDD.

You will know if your system is hacked: Most hackers design special ways to install malware on your computer, at times even posing as anti-virus programs. Hence, by no means will you be able to identify malware.

Airport scanners will corrupt photos on your camera: The memory card that stores all the data is not made up of any sensitive film that will get affected by the X-rays in the scanner machines. Your photos will be perfectly safe.

High-speed memory cards help in taking pictures faster: These memory cards can only store data quickly, but have no effect on taking quick snaps.

Using third-party ink in the printer affects warranty: All warranty terms of leading printer manufacturers say that only if the printer is damaged while using third-party ink, the warranty is void, else it is not.

Typing URL in the browser directly saves you from phishing attacks: Typing the direct web address of the desired webpage can still redirect you to phishing webpages.

Expensive HDMI cables mean better quality: The image quality does not depend on the cost of the HDMI cable.

Most of these myths are the ones that we have been listening to since a long time and have always agreed to them. However, before blindly following any statement, it is necessary to know the exact facts behind them. Don't fall into such myth traps, and make sure you have your facts clear.