Tech Myths Busted

8 Common Tech Myths Busted

Mac computers can’t get viruses: Yes, Apple computers are susceptible to malware too. Apple used to brag its computers aren't vulnerable to PC viruses, but the company quickly changed its marketing page after a Trojan affected thousands of Mac computers in 2012.

Private/Incognito browsing keeps you anonymous: There’s a misconception that “incognito” and “private” are synonymous with anonymous. If you’re using Incognito Mode in Google Chrome or private browsing in Safari, it simply means the browser won’t keep track of your history, import your bookmarks, or automatically log into any of your accounts. It won’t keep your identity anonymous — so keep that in mind if you’re visiting sites you shouldn't be.

Leaving your phone plugged in destroys the battery: If you’re like most people, you probably leave your phone plugged in overnight long after the battery is fully charged. Some used to say this would hurt your phones battery life, but in fact, there’s no proof that this damages your phone’s battery in any way. Modern smartphones run on lithium-ion batteries, which are smart enough to stop charging when they've reached capacity.

More megapixels always mean a better camera: What’s the difference between 12 megapixels cameras and 8 megapixel cameras? Not much, as it turns out. The quality of an image is determined by how much light the sensor is able to take in. Typically, bigger sensors come with larger pixels and the larger the pixel the more light it can absorb. So, it’s really the size of the megapixels that matter more than the sheer number of megapixels.

Don’t charge your phone unless it’s almost dead: This, too, is a popular myth about lithium-ion batteries. It’s not harmful to plug your phone in before the battery is drained — in fact, it may be better for your battery. Batteries have a limited number of charge cycles before they lose their ability to hold a charge. A charge cycle consists of charging your battery back up to its full capacity when it’s out of juice. The reason your phone’s battery life diminishes as it gets older is because it’s already used up many of its cycles, not because you’re plugging it in when the battery is already half full.

Higher display resolution is always better on a smartphone: Some have argued that at a certain point, screen resolution doesn’t matter on a smartphone. Gizmodo cites experts in saying the human eye can discern nitty-gritty detail when a display packs more than 300 pixels per inch. Earlier this year, LG unveiled its first quad-HD smartphone, the G3, which has a resolution of 2560 x 1440. That’s much higher than the average high-end smartphone, which usually comes with a 1920 x 1080 resolution display. But it’s unclear if those numbers really matter after a certain point, since the eye can   discern individual pixels beyond a certain resolution. So when I tested the G3s display alongside the 1080 Galaxy S5s display, there was hardly a difference in terms of sharpness — that’s why companies like Apple tend to focus on brightness, more so than ultra-dense displays.

It’s bad to use your iPad charger for your iPhone: This one is a little trickier than a standard yes or no answer. Apple’s official website says its 12-watt iPad adapter can charge both the iPhone and the iPad. However, Steve Sandler, founder and chief technical officer at electronics analysis company AEi Systems, told Popular Mechanics that this could stress your iPhone’s battery over time if you do it regularly. It would take about a year, however, to notice any changes in battery efficiency.

You shouldn't shut down your computer every day: While some may believe it’s harmful to shut down your computer every night, the truth is it’s actually good to turn off your computer regularly. It’s easy to get into the habit of putting your laptop in sleep mode so you can easily return to it without having to boot up. But, as Life hacker points out, shutting it down when not in use conserves power and places less stress on its components, which could enable it to last longer.