With our devices using lithium-ion batteries and with Electronic Vehicles (EVs) currently dependent on lithium for their rechargeable batteries we look at the environmental impact of lithium mining, and what the possible alternatives could be. Lithium Lithium is a naturally occurring element found ionic minerals like petalite, lepidolite, and spodumene, and is a soft, silvery-white alkali metal sometimes referred to…
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has warned that there has been an 86 percent rise (July to Dec 2021 compared to the previous year) of a screen-sharing scam. The FCA reports that the scam involves people posing as investment advisers and offering to help their targets to set up new schemes via online meeting platforms. Once the victim is…
With so many of us depending on our smartphones for many aspects of our business and personal life, and with electricity prices rising, here are some ways to reduce battery consumption and save electricity: – Use Dark Mode (for OLED screens). – Stick with 4G rather than 5G. – Reduce your screen refresh rate (via Settings). – Opt for…
New research by British Gas (Centrica) has revealed that UK households could save an average of £147 per year on their electricity bills by switching off their ‘vampire electronics’. What Are Vampire Devices? So-called ‘vampire devices’ are those household electronic devices, plugged into the mains, that continue to drain power when left on standby. These include remote-ready devices with…
In this article, we look at the legal issues around recording calls on your mobile, and the different methods for doing so. Is It Legal To Record Phone Calls On Your Mobile? In the UK, as an individual mobile phone user, generally speaking, secretly recording a conversation is not a criminal offence and is not prohibited if that recording…
In this article, we look at the immediate challenges ahead for Twitter with Elon Musk now at the helm, plus we look at some of the likely ways that he could start adding more revenue. What Happened? Billionaire Elon Musk recently became Twitter’s largest shareholder after acquiring a 9.2 per cent stake in the social media company. Twitter then…
Google has announced that it is changing its policies to allow more types of personally identifiable information removal requests. Personal Information Showing Up In Google Search Google acknowledges that personally identifiable information of some users can and does show up in Google search queries. This can make users concerned, e.g. about how it could be used against them in…
With many governments (including the UK Government) being targeted with Pegasus phone-spying software, there’s now news that Spain’s PM’s has also been hit. What Is Pegasus? Pegasus spyware is sold by Israeli-based NSO Group to governments to carry out surveillance by infecting phones with surveillance software. The software is sold to nation states, for millions of (US) dollars as a…
WhatsApp is warning users that scammers are sending messages from fake WhatsApp Support accounts, some of which even have a profile photo containing a verified badge. WhatsApp says these scam contacts are asking for private information such as credit card details to avoid terminating a WhatsApp account and, in some cases, for the user’s 6-digit code to log into…
If you need a really fast and simple way to remove the background from any photo, you may wish to try using ‘removebg’. Here’s how it works: – Go to www.remove.bg. – Click on ‘Upload An Image’ to upload the photo from your device that you would like to remove the background from. – The website tool automatically and instantly…
