We live in a world of technology.
And many of us can admit we have had our minds blown by the bizarre yet incredible short-cuts and tricks our everyday devices can do… or so we thought.
From saving a drowned phone in rice to the more signal bars meaning better reception, it’s some of the biggest tech myths doing the rounds.
Here, Australian technology expert Stephen Fenech has debunked the common misconceptions – and some may surprise you.
We have long believed that putting a drenched phone in a bowl of rice will miraculously bring it back to life, sadly this method doesn’t work. But this method doesn’t work (stock image)
Rice saves your wet phone
There’s nothing worse than the disheartening moment your phone drops into a sink full of water or the toilet bowl.
And while we have long believed that putting a drenched phone in a bowl of rice will miraculously bring it back to life, sadly this method doesn’t work.
‘In the case of a wet phone, it is the water inside the phone that’s done the damage and there are no rice grains that can change that,’ Mr Fenech, who is the editor of Tech Guide, said.
He explained that you’re better off leaving your phone on a shelf or buying a water resistant device.
They get bigger every year – and each camera model that comes out, we are made to believe more pixels mean the better photo quality. However, this myth is not true
Many people have all thought the number of signal bars on our phone means better signal – but this is not the case
More signal bars means better reception
Signal failure is one of the most frustrating occurrences of modern life.
And many people have all thought the number of signal bars on our phone means better signal.
However, Mr Fenech said this was not the case.
‘The number of signal bars on your phone is more of an indication of your proximity to a cell tower and doesn’t always mean better reception,’ he said.
More pixels means better photo quality
They get bigger every year – and each camera model that comes out, we are made to believe more pixels mean the better photo quality.
But Mr Fenech said more megapixels simply means a larger file in terms of width and height – it has nothing to do with the quality of the photograph.
He explained the lens, sensor, lighting and composition of the camera are the main factors of picture quality – not the megapixels.
Many people believe they don’t have to worry about getting viruses on their Apple devices
Macs never get viruses
Macs have long been touted as a virus-free computer.
And unsurprisingly, many people believe they don’t have to worry about getting viruses on their Apple devices.
But Mr Fenech said Mac users should still be cautious after recent studies found cases of viruses.
‘Apple’s Mac computers can and do get infected with viruses, so having Internet security software is your best option,’ he explained.
Using a phone at a petrol station is a fire hazard
How many times have we left our phone behind in our car while we fill up at a petrol station because we’ve been told it could ignite gasoline fumes?
Despite the warning signs, several studies have found there’s no evidence that using a mobile phone at petrol station could spark a fire.