It processes information from programs, applications and internal components.
You could also say its like an orchestra conductor, because it does not execute instructions from the operating system, but it directs other parts of the system to do so.
In a computer, the CPU is located in the middle of the motherboard, underneath the fan, or a heatsink connected to the fan. It sits in the middle so that it can communicate with everyone else efficiently; more precisely, billions of transistors receive and interpret 1's and 0's in the form of electrical signals; executing billions of cycles per second, and transmitting data to the correct destination via a complex network of copper lines.
Picture a time-lapse video of a busy road in the city - everyone's driving through an organised traffic system, carrying out a specific job at a specific time and location; in order to keep the city running.
This, but literally billions of times smaller and faster, all inside the device that you're reading this post on. Neat.
We are back at it again, saving the world one post at a time - today, with essential information on emergency contacts - also known as ICE (In Case Of Emergency), and Medical ID.
If admitted to hospital with serious injuries, a nurse or doctor could use your phone to identify a contact, what you're allergic to and your blood type.
One A&E worker on a forum said: "We have people come in sometimes and they are unconscious or otherwise unable to communicate and having a way to find something about you that can help us help you is huge."
Not having any emergency contacts listed can also lead to people being reported missing, or having their pets left home alone for days.
So that's why you should utilise your phone to display medical information, and an emergency contact. This is how...
For iPhone: 1. Open the Health app and tap your profile picture. 2. Tap Medical ID. 3. Tap Edit and then scroll to Emergency Contacts. 4. Tap the Add button to add an emergency contact. 5. Tap a contact, then add their relationship. 6. Whilst you're here, you can also enter health information, such as your date of birth, allergies and blood type. 7. Turn on "Show When Locked", so that the information can be viewed from the lock screen. 8. Tap Done to save.
For Android: 1. Open Contacts and select your profile at the top 2. Select Emergency Contacts. 3. Select Edit, then Add member 4. Tap on relevant contacts, then tap Done. 5. Tap Save. 6. Tap Emergency medical information to add enter health information, such as your date of birth, allergies and blood type. 7. Tap Save.
When selecting an emergency contact, you will ideally want to pick someone that you trust, who is rational, organised, and in close proximity to you most of the time. And above all else, pick someone that will actually have their phone with them and turned on (sorry Mum, that's not you).
Typically people list their parents and/or partner as their emergency contact. Housemates and work colleagues are also quite common.
Some of our tips:
> Have more than one emergency contact, in case someone doesn't answer or cannot help.
> Pick contacts that know you well, and make sure they know any vital details concerning your health or medications.
> If you have a health condition, consider asking your GP if you can list them as an emergency contact.
> Make sure that your close friends and family have this setup on their phone, and volunteer to be an emergency contact.
> Make it obvious - consider putting emergency information on your lock screen background.
> Make it clear - put a label on the back of your phone/under your case with an emergency contact. This is especially useful, in case your phone has a flat battery; but also if you lose your phone; whoever finds it can call the number.
All of this takes just a few minutes, but it might just save your life.
Thanks for reading!
See Our Blog for the latest industry news, tech tips, company updates, and anything else we feel like writing about.
Like most gadgets and consumer electronics, charging cables are available in a variety of lengths, widths, styles, materials, qualities, colours, speeds, genders, energy efficiencies, molecular densities and midi-chlorian concentrations.
But really, a cable's just a cable... Right?
Oh-no, young Padawan.
There are four wires inside of your charging cable - white and green; positive and negative; are for data. A red wire carries 5 volts of direct current (DC) power. A black wire grounds the power.
The amount of power that the cable can transmit is determined by the size of the red and black wires. Larger wires can carry larger currents - measured in amps. the amount of current transferred is limited by it's length - meaning a shorter cable with the same wiring will charge (slightly) more quickly.
Most modern smart devices are fast-charge compatible, meaning that they will accept large currents. If not, internal components close the gate to protect themselves from damage.
A good quality cable will not only charge your device more quickly, but also protect against voltage spikes; which can damage internal components. Secondly, it's a case of buy cheap; buy twice. Poorer quality cables are more susceptible to wear-and-tear, as a result of being repeatedly rammed in and yanked out of ports throughout the day - kids seem to be particularly aggressive with their cables.
The take-home message here is to buy your cables from reputable companies - including but not limited too but especially Talkback Comms. And to use the pound shop for mysterious, glow in the dark energy drinks and snacks, not electronics equipment.
Thanks for reading!
See Our Blog for the latest industry news, tech tips, company updates, and anything else we feel like writing about.
If you're fortunate enough to own a 2021 MacBook, iMac or iPad Pro, you have your very own M1 Chip at your disposal.
The M1 Chip is a "system on a chip" - an integrated circuit that contains all of a devices electronic systems. The CPU, GPU, RAM, USB Controller and many other functions, are all contained in this one little chip. The M1 is an alternative to multi-core CPUs. Instead of having a few general-purpose cores and memory, the M1 utilises a variety of specialised chips.
The result: > Incredible power efficiency - cool, quiet devices with tremendous battery life. > Outstanding performance - significantly faster and smoother than Intel processors. > Cheaper than an Intel Mac - no need to buy the expensive kit from other companies.
The benefit of having these pieces living together in one neat silicone package, is the increased efficiency of computations, and faster processing. This, in contrast with a traditional motherboard setup, in which the CPU sits in the middle, and sends its memory data through copper traces to other chips scattered around the board.
Companies Like AMD and Intel rely on this traditional setup because their business model is predicated on selling various specialised chips to computer manufacturers like HP and Dell, that will then have to run on Microsoft Windows. But for Apple, they have full control over their products and developers - they don't have to source IP (Intellectual Property) from other vendors.
Apple have ticked all three boxes here - technological innovation, a quality consumer product, and business success. The M1 was a huge leap for Apple, and it's paying off so far. We look forward to seeing the M2 chip, which should be released later this year. But also to see what AMD, Intel and Nvidia come up with. The market is as competitive as ever, and a competitive market produces the fastest progress.
Thanks for reading!
See Our Blog for the latest industry news, tech tips, company updates, and anything else we feel like writing about.
Just a few weeks ago, at Christmas time, phones and tablets were beloved companions, treated with the utmost care and respect. But tragically, many of these same devices become insignificant objects, subjected to the cruelty and neglect that manifest from the darkest depths of human nature.
Brutally cracked screens, cold and flat batteries, and grimly corroded circuits.
This is no life for a phone.
At Talkback Comms, it is our mission to put a stop to phone abuse, by fixing, refurbishing and restoring mistreated hardware, and helping find a warm, loving home for every device.
