Ever read that one text or post that really rubs you up the wrong way? Yeah, so you may or may not be surprised at how often people throw their phones in anger.
Really often. Like, 3 or 4 per week they come through our shop.
When frustration builds up, it momentarily feels good to release it with a burst of aggression or violence. We express our anger by lashing out at physical items.
Problem is, your phone is almost always in your hand or is the closest thing to you.
This problem isn't limited to the modern age. Watch a movie from any time period and you'll see people slamming their old landline receivers or snapping a flip phone shut.
If you are one of these people, here's some practical and professional advice from the Talkback team.
You may feel guilty or embarrassed. And you'll almost certainly regret breaking it when you have to shell out £100+ on repairs. But take solace in the knowledge that millions of others have made the same mistake.
Sometimes your phone can be like a tyrant controlling your brain; your mood; your life; and smashing it into a million pieces is the only way to free yourself from it's grasp. If you feel like this, consider unplugging from social media for a while.
If you need to express your pent up frustration, try breath work, martial arts, or vigorous exercise.
If you feel the need to throw something, perhaps reach for a less valuable item, such as a mug or TV controller.
If you have just received the most ridiculous and infuriating text from your significant other, try launching your phone into your bed, sofa or other soft surface. This can be just as satisfying as bouncing it off the wall, and it won't cost you any money.
Slicing up some fresh TechWraps this week. This "Cloud Pink" Samsung S20 already looked really pretty, and the customer didn't want to put it in a case, so it was just a matter of fitting a clear wrap from edge to edge. This keeps the back of the phone in pristine condition, where it would otherwise get scratched over time. Even if it was in a case, bits of dust and grit would get in and scratch the glass. If and when the customer sells the phone or removes the wrap, it will look good as new! It also makes the phone more grippy, so they will be less likely to drop it!
All modern smartphones have glass backs. Previously, they were made of aluminium, and before that, plastic. The main reason for the transition is that high frequency radio waves can transmit electricity through glass, which enables us to utilise inductive wireless charging.
You could also argue that glass backs are more aesthetically pleasing, but on the flip-side, there's twice as much to crack or scratch. That's why it's a good idea to protect your device with a case and screen protector, or better yet, with a TechWrap from Talkback Comms.
We freshly print, cut and fit high quality screen guards & skins for your phone, tablet or smartwatch in-store. Here we have black carbon fibre, blue carbon fibre, green camo, black camo, silver glitter, matte blue and matte green wraps.
You may remember this story from exactly two years ago. Mobile phone masts set on fire by conspiracists, claiming a link between the mobile technology and Covid-19. Never did you expect to see the government having to assure the public that 5G is not increasing the spread of a virus. Whilst the whole debacle was both stupid and dangerous, it was also rather hilarious to watch, in what was an otherwise harrowing time period.
One step down on the wild conspiracy ladder, is the claim that mobile phone masts cause or contribute to the growth of cancer. The theory suggests that electromagnetic waves and radiation can damage DNA, which increases a persons cancer risk. However, there is no scientific evidence to support any link between mobile technology and cancer.
Mobile phones emit low radio frequency energy, which is very weak. 2G, 3G and 4G devices emit in the 0.7-2.7 GHz (Gigahertz) frequency range. 5G uses a frequency range of 24-47Ghz. These frequencies are on the non-ionizing range of the frequency spectrum - meaning they cannot ionize (remove an electron from) atoms or molecules.
This radiation, is actually lower on the spectrum than visible light (see the infographic). That's right, you're exposed to higher energy radiation by colour and light, than by your mobile phone - about 100,000 times more actually.
X-rays, cosmic rays and gamma rays emit ionizing radiation, which is high frequency, high energy. An X-ray emits radiation that is millions of times more powerful than that of your mobile phone.
In addition to this, several epidemiological studies have found no statistically significant correlation between exposure to mobile phone masts and cancer risk. Furthermore, there is currently no public health data which suggests that mobile phones, microwaves or radio waves cause any biological damage or illness.
People who believe and spread these conspiracies often cannot understand the science, and typically back up their arguments with vague and non-scientific explanations. Granted, companies do have a history of covering up any negative side effects caused by their products. 5G though, is not one of those cases.
Thanks for reading!
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Can you believe that people used to go jogging with these?
It's interesting to think about how various industries and activities have changed in our lifetimes - mostly for the better.
The fact that you have instant, unlimited, and mostly free access to information and entertainment would have been inconceivable just two or three decades ago.
Don't take your phone for granted.
To have access to video conferencing, GPS, a digital voice recorder, digital watch, camera, video player, music player, and videogame console, would have cost you hundreds of thousands of pounds in 1990. In 2022, it's all available, at a superior quality, on a £60 smartphone.
Just as every bit of technology that you currently own will be obsolete and have zero value in 2040, all the technology that you dream of will be commonplace. Self-driving cars, virtual reality and videogames that are indistinguishable from real life, instant voice to text and translation, treatment of degenerative diseases, blindness and paralysis.
How about listening to music with no external device?
As for smartphones, some people predict that we will move beyond handheld devices, into seamless wearable tech, augmented reality technology and eventually a direct brain-machine interface.
We didn't sign up for brain chips, or life in the metaverse, but we're here for it.
*This isn't an April fools post by the way* Thanks for reading!
See Our Blog for the latest industry news, tech tips, company updates, and anything else we feel like writing about.
Attention is a resource - a person has only so much of it. Attention is becoming increasingly scarce. In economic theory, the more scarce a resource becomes, the more valuable it becomes. Completing deep, focused work whilst free of distractions is extremely rare and surprisingly difficult, yet so valuable. This is perhaps in-part due to our smartphones and other devices. Technology is a double-edged sword. It offers an array of tools that make our lives more efficient. Conversely, it provides a multitude of attention-stealing distractions.
Here are some tips to win back some precious attention, and increase your productivity.
> Disable most notifications. These are the silent killers. You can't get anything meaningful done if you're reacting to a new notification every 30 seconds. Go into Settings > Notifications, and turn off all notifications that you don't need. Leave notifications on for some apps such as your calendar, alarms, reminders, phone calls, and delivery apps.
> Turn "Badges" off for everything. Badges are the little red dots with numbers in them that give you anxiety that there’s something important going on in that app. You’ll get more done and probably even live longer if you never see another badge.
> Hide slot-machine apps. Social media apps use variable reward to trigger mindless and addictive behaviour. Move all your social media apps into one folder, and hide it, so it's not immediately visible on your home screen/first page of apps. By doing this, you will decide when you check these apps, rather than the apps deciding for you.
> Disable App Review requests. Enjoying the app? Give us 5 stars! Apps with more positive reviews get ranked higher in the App Store. As a consequence, app developers will interrupt your productive activity to solicit you with review requests.
> Utilize Focus Mode on iOS, or Do Not Disturb on Android. You know what it is. You might already have it turned on whilst you're sleeping. Consider turning it on when you're working.
> Use Screen Time, or an equivalent app to monitor your activity. Once you can see exactly how you spend your time, you become accountable for it.
If you made it through the whole post, congratulations on your mental discipline, and thank you for your attention.
Thanks for reading!
See Our Blog for the latest industry news, tech tips, company updates, and anything else we feel like writing about.
