20 technology myths exposed – part 1

Blame it on the mystique of how technology works, the hyperbole of hysterical media or even a product of diehard fans in the never-ending Apple/Microsoft software wars, but in the last thirty years tech myths have blossomed into their own sub-genre of urban legend. Unfortunately, because of our reliance on computing, it would be ill advised to disregard all of the stories you hear.

To help seperate fact from fiction, we’ll be looking at 20 tech myths and exposing them for what they are – either a made up lie that deserves to die, or a shocking truth you need to take notice of.

1. Airport X-rays wipe memory cards

When digital cameras started emerging on to the market a decade ago, rumours spread like wildfire that precious holiday snaps stored on memory cards would be wiped by airport X-ray machines.

However, a study commissioned by SanDisk revealed no evidence at all that X-ray machines can affect the data held on memory cards. In fact, during the tests, some damage was recorded to films and printed photographs, but none at all to electronic media.

What’s much more commonplace is accidentally wiping your photos yourself. In which case, MediaRecover from Smith Micro can retrieve data from corrupt or formatted memory cards, discs or memory sticks. See www.allume.com for more.

2. Macs don’t get viruses!

If you believe the adverts, you’ll probably think that PCs are stuttering, slobbering, virusridden machines, while Apple Macs are a sanctuary of security. Historically, there may have been a grain of truth in this, but things are changing.

As Macs move into the mainstream, they’re starting to attract the attention of wouldbe attackers, who feel they can exploit this part of the marketplace. According to a recent threat report by Norton Security developer Symantec, “Apple Mac users may be operating under a false sense of security, because a noteworthy number of vulnerabilities and attacks were detected against OS X.”

3. Security firms hype risks to sell software

When security firms urge us to buy their software, giving the impression we’re all minutes away from our data being destroyed by viruses, or identities pilfered by malware, they’re greeted with choruses of “They would say that!” But that doesn’t mean it’s not true.

Research by the BBC showed that one in 10 web sites now harbour malicious code designed to attack your PC. One in 44 emails was found to have malicious intent, and half of those contained links to Trojan horses, which can do untold damage to your PC.

However, being web-wise can dramatically increase your safety online. If you’re cautious about the web sites you visit, emails you open and software you download, you dramatically decrease the risk of having your data pillaged.

4. Viruses only appear in .exe files

A long time ago, you could tell a virus a mile off – there was an .exe file you had to open before it could deposit its dirty load on your computer. Now things have got a lot more complex.

Crafty programmers have developed malware to take the form of documents, preying on people’s curiosity (and naïvity) to open them and release what is lurking inside. In recent months, the first infected image files – designed to prey on the increasing trend of pictures shared by email – have started being banded around the internet.

5. You must completely discharge your laptop battery

Back in the old days, laptop batteries were hulking great lummoxes made of nickel cadmium. They were also plagued by variable lives and were heavily affected by discharging.

These days, laptop batteries are made from lithium-ion, meaning they don’t discharge and therefore don’t suffer from the same ‘memory’ issues that the loss of charge causes. In fact, quite the opposite is true and any problems nowadays are most likely to be caused by heat.

However, experts do advise that you discharge your lithium-ion battery once in 30 charges, just to correct the meter on your laptop.

6. USB devices must be stopped before removal

It’s so easy just to rip your USB flash drive from your PC instead of taking the time to stop it first. Does it really make any difference?

No one can quite agree on this. The problem originally lay with older machines, which weren’t designed to deal with transferring to flash devices. However, many claim removing the device can still cause memory corruption, which can wipe your data clean.

Others say that sometimes your PC retains your data in RAM and not stopping the USB device will consign your files to irretrievable virtual memory. Our advice? Better safe than sorry.

7. Wi-fi gives you cancer

According to claims made in a recent TV documentary, the rise of the wireless network is a danger to our health, and especially to that of our developing children. Like the perceived evil that is mobile phone masts, Wi-Fi is pumping out dangerous radiation, it was suggested.

However, the truth is rather less exciting. Frequency emissions from Wi-Fi devices are 600 times lower than the maximum recommended dose for humans.

Professor Malcolm Sperrin, director of medical physics and clinical engineering at the Royal Berkshire NHS trust, maintains that Wi-Fi devices pose no greater threat than televisions and kettles. “The power output of these devices is so low they can’t even penetrate thick walls, which any Wi-Fi user has probably experienced,” he told Windows Vista Magazine. “The hype that’s surrounded this is evidence of a world gone mad. There are much greater things to worry about.”

8. Monitors give you cancer!

Back in the 80s people feared that cathode ray tubes (CRT) used in television and computer displays were spraying out radiation like a bad day in Chernobyl.

However, like any good health scare the reality turned out to be a little different. The strength of magnetic fields was governed by industry regulations, which made them significantly less than the earth’s natural magnetic field.

While it’s still not recommended to put your head close to something that emits radiation, the latest standard of LCD monitors has solved the old CRT problem.

9. Resting a laptop on your lap may make you infertile

In 2004, scientists from the State University of New York claimed that men who often rested laptops on their laps risked making themselves infertile. The reasoning behind this is that the heat from the laptop, and the closed leg posture, warms the sperm and decreases production.

At the time of the original study, head researcher Yefim Sheynkin said: “This is not a short-term occasional exposure, but a repetitive use of a computer, a couple of times a day for many years.”

Further research has been commissioned to look at whether the effect is transient or permanent. In the meantime, as a precautionary measure, male users are advised to invest in a laptop rest.

10. Computers don’t use that much energy

Some people think that PCs don’t use very much power, and so leave them on in their homes and workplaces for hours at a time. A recent study by Microsoft has shown that a PC uses about the same power as a 100W light bulb, which causes the release of over 1,000lbs of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere every year.

Luckily, the advanced power management functions in Windows Vista mean your PC is hibernated after an hour of inactivity. However, when a computer is in Sleep mode, it still consumes significant power to keep the data in its memory active.

The answer is simple: if you’re concerned about the environment, turn your PC off when it’s not in use.

Check back tomorrow for the concluding 20!