Data recovery specialists attempt to retrieve data from damaged hard drives.

They do this in a "Clean Room" - a dedicated space designed to give them the best possible chance of recovering data.

The air inside the room is filtered constantly to ensure it contains between 20 and 100 dust particles per cubic metre. A normal room has an average of 35 million dust particles. You know when a beam of light shines through your curtains and you can see a million dust particles dancing around? They're everywhere, all the time.

A fully equipped clean room can cost as much as £1 million to build!

Technicians also wear hazmat suits and walk on sticky mats which collect dust from their shoes.

Having a dust-free environment is crucial to maximising the chances of successful data recovery.  On a hard disk drive, the head - which reads and writes data in the form of 1's and 0's - hovers just a few nanometres above the platter. A single spec of dust in this gap can spell game over.

Could do with one of these just for fitting screen protectors tbh.

Post inspired by this video from Linus Tech Tips where he takes us on a tour of DriveSavers - a data recovery company in California.

Their museum exhibits some of their greatest success stories - everything from phones and laptops to photocopy machines and video recorders.

They've recovered data from devices damaged in house fires, mudslides, nuclear disasters and sunken cruise ships! They've rescued data for thousands of people, including Adam Sandler, Harrison Ford, and Khloe Kardashian.

It's important work: DriveSavers have recovered photographic evidence for murder cases, and even 12 episodes of The Simpsons that had been deleted by mistake!🙌

Remarkable work 👏

If, like me, you're a headphone addict, you spend most of your time passively listening to podcasts, audiobooks, music, radio and phone calls - your hands free to take care of business.

Whilst you'd probably rather shut the world out completely, you're often obligated to leave 50% of your hearing apparatus unoccupied because it's more courteous or safe.

So which ear do you plug?

I've long suspected that there's something to plugging the left ear. Spoken content seems to stick better, and music feels more stimulating. New research supports my hypothesis.

Neuroscience researchers in Switzerland used fMRI to investigate the impact of various categories of sounds (vocal; non-vocal), emotional valence (positive, neutral, negative) and spacial origin (left, centre, right) on the auditory cortex - the part of the brain that interprets sounds.

They found that participants responded more strongly to positive human sounds like laughter or pleasant vocalisations when it was played through the left ear. 

The left ear is controlled by the brain's right hemisphere, which is typically regarded as the creative and emotional side, as opposed to the left hemisphere, which is more logical and calculating.

I recall reading many years ago that humans can recall around 70% of emotional words whispered into the left ear, compared to 58% in the right. We can also recall melodies more accurately when played through the left ear. I've even heard that mothers instinctively cradle their babies in such a way that they can whisper into their left ear, though I don't know if this is true.

One factor that determines how we perceive sounds is where they come from. People rate looming sounds as more unpleasant, potent, arousing, and intense than receding sounds, especially if they come from behind rather than from in front. This phenomenon has a reasonable evolutionary explanation: A sound approaching from behind could signal a stalking predator. 

Researchers do not yet have a clear understanding as to why our brains favour positive vocalisations coming from the left. Prof Stephanie Clarke thinks that with more research, a better understanding of the mechanisms at play will be formed, from which "we may speculate whether it is linked to hand preference or the asymmetric arrangements of the internal organs."

For now, I'll carry on punishing one eardrum.

Do you remember sitting on the toilet and reading the back of a shampoo bottle twice over?

How about flicking through an outdated directory or Heat magazine in a waiting room?

Dipping in and out of consciousness on a long flight.

Listening to the same three downloaded albums over and over on the school bus every day.

Staring out the window in chemistry class.

Sitting on a park bench with nothing but a drink and a view.

Washing the dishes and just focusing on getting them sparkling clean.

When was the last time you really got lost in a daydream? If you have internet and a smartphone, probably not for a while.

The brain is active in some capacity 24/7; 365. The modern world is relentless in the strain that it places on our minds. Entertainment, social media, and remote work - the things that are supposed to make us happier, more social and more productive - seem to have had an overall negative impact on our mental faculties and mental health.

In a world with 24/7 on-demand access to high-speed internet; screens and headphones; and over 328 million terabytes of data produced every day, you can quite easily spend your entire waking life on a device, working or consuming.

This doesn't leave much time for mental rest, reflection, meditation or daydreaming - things we might conflate as boredom. There's always "something to do"; a crushing amount of work and content to catch up on - so much so that people pay large sums of money to escape the madness through darkness retreats, yoga camps, and solo treks in the wilderness, where they are forced into a prolonged state of solitude.

But why would anyone choose to sit with their own thoughts or be just a little bored when there's unlimited content, tailored to your preferences (or triggers), just waiting for you in your pocket? 

When we sit in passive rest and let out minds wander, we engage the Default Mode Network. Here, there's no task to engage in, and no external stimulus to distract ourselves with. We might think about ourselves or others, remember the past, or plan for the future. Our internal chatter comes to the surface; often revealing and sometimes uncomfortable.

There is ample evidence to suggest that allowing your mind to check out can boost memory consolidation and creativity. Neuroscientists also believe that being bored more often can improve our social connections and empathy.

Many famous writers, artists, entrepreneurs and inventors have attributed some of their best and most creative ideas to time spent daydreaming or completing quiet, mundane tasks - think of those eureka moments that come to you in the shower. 

An inability to access the default mode network has been associated with several mental disorders, including Alzheimer's and psychosis. Those with such disorders struggle to engage in the self-focus and mental time travel that we take for granted. 

We typically break our waking time down into two buckets: work/productivity and leisure. I would propose a third, equally-important bucket: restoration. This is time spent with the mind mostly disengaged, absent of any external input - which is anything made by someone else. Sounds a lot like being asleep, but I think there's value in spending time in this state whilst conscious.

Unfortunately, this can make you feel guilty about wasting time, or even create feelings of FOMO. It takes a conscious effort to decondition this emotional response.

In my own experience, allocating small, regular pockets of time to doing nothing - just walking or sitting in silence - has resulted in decreased rumination and an increased ability to focus. I realise that I'm not that busy - and actually, I never miss out on anything. I can either process recent events or simply appreciate the present moment.

Literally every one of our ancestors (thousands of generations) would have spent a great deal of time in this state. So it makes sense that our brain is adapted to it - needs it, even. And we know that it's absolutely not adapted to consuming 150 TikToks, reels or shorts before getting out of bed to check work emails. 

I can guarantee that every one of us has used our devices to suppress feelings of discomfort - willingly going down internet rabbit holes, or refreshing our feeds like a thirsty alcoholic at a bottomless brunch. Anaesthetised by work or content, it's easier than ever to procrastinate - to put off that which really needs to be done.

Having the option to not be bored - to instead be productive, to educate or entertain ourselves, is great. It's what I love about modern technology and the freedom it affords us. But being able to switch between an active and passive brain state; to not reach for the phone at the slightest hint of boredom like a pre-programmed machine... That's real freedom. 

Google has just announced their first folding smartphone.

That edge-to-edge display looks impressive, and those shiny chrome edges exude premium to the extent that it almost feels pretentious. 

At £1749, it's the most expensive foldable handset on the market.

They will throw in a Pixel Watch as part of the deal though. Notice how every brand is making a concerted effort to pull you into their ecosystem exclusively?

The Pixel Fold will launch with Android 14 in June.

It will be very interesting to see how this all unfolds...

Google has stated that this will be the world's thinnest foldable, with the most durable hinge.

> The 5.8-inch screen opens up into a 7.6-inch phablet with 120hz display.

> 12GB of RAM and up to 512GB of storage.

> 48-megapixel camera plus 10.8MP ultrawide and 10.8MP telephoto lenses with 5x optical zoom. Similar camera setup to the Pixel 7, but with smaller, inferior sensors.

> Google Tensor G2 Processor (same as Pixel 7 series). 

> Fingerprint and face unlocking; and minimum 5 years of security updates.

Folding phones often fall down (figuratively) in how they (fail to) synchronise with the software. Google's phones work beautifully with Android, so we expect it to be fully optimised for Android 14 - which itself looks promising and has some neat tricks.

Would I get one? No. As a tech enthusiast, I enjoy playing with one, appreciate the engineering, and just love that it's a thing that exists. It's a classic "because we can" product that makes any techie a little giddy.

For me, a phone is about portability and practicality. Everything that I will use my phone for can be done as well - in most cases better - on a slab phone. If I want to play a game or watch a movie, I'll do it on my TV. If I want to get some work done, I'll do it on my laptop. If I didn't have access to these tools - then perhaps a fold would be a worthwhile investment. Having to open and close the thing for every 10-second task would get on my nerves. I also don't want to have to be conscious of carrying around a rather heavy, extremely expensive, tremendously fragile piece of kit 24/7. It's like a newborn baby without the poop.

I guess if I were a car guy, the folding phone would be the loud, flashy supercar that gets 12 miles to the gallon, can't go over speed bumps, and costs more than a house to repair if you hit a pothole or a pigeon. Sure, you'll feel cool for a moment, and it goes fast - but you'll rarely take it over 90, and a plane will always get you a lot further, a lot faster anyway.

But that's just me. There are plenty of people who adore their folding phones. Maybe one day I will join them.

Ever notice how the Apple store will display as few demo models as possible in their mostly-empty stores.

How their commercials will typically show just one of the advertised product.

How they refuse to provide any information on upcoming products, and go to great lengths to cover up any leaks.

That you can pre-order their devices weeks before launch.

You'll never see footage of iPads rolling off a production line, or photos of thousands of MacBooks stored in a warehouse.

You'd never guess that Apple manufactures around 240 million iPhones per year, or that they've made more than 2.2 billion to date.

Yet people queue up outside of stores for days, just to be one of the first to get their hands on the new product.

It's almost as if there isn't enough to go around...

Apple's Zhengzhou plant is spread over 1.4 million square metres and contains dormitories, restaurants, basketball courts, swimming pools, a football pitch, a grocery store, and a bank. It employs 200,000 workers (8 Portishead's or 43% of Bristol) who produce as many as 500,000 iPhones a day.

With 1.5 billion active iPhone users worldwide, we need not fret just yet.

Whether it's Covid lockdowns or supply chain issues, retailers always publicise threats of shortages. Photos of empty shelves ensure us that Christmas is cancelled this year.

How else can you convince people to upgrade their phones every year, despite the fact that it looks exactly the same?

Scarcity sells.

We want what we can't have.

Companies leverage scarcity - the fear that there may not be enough - to increase perceived value and quality. We can't help but assume that a cheap, readily-available, mass-produced product is less valuable and of lower quality than a more expensive, difficult-to-source alternative. 

Louis Vuitton CEO, Bernard Arnault, is the richest man in the world - worth twice as much as Bill Gates, or more than Warren Buffett and Mark Zuckerberg combined. He’s achieved this not by selling things people need, but things they want. Because these things are so hard to get, people are willing to pay extortionate amounts to get them, which means only rich, high-status people can afford them, which makes them even more valuable.

Scarcity and prestige go hand-in-hand. Brands that exploit our built-in desire for status can generate a fortune.

Take Birkin handbags - the pinnacle in over-priced designer handbags. Often donned by Victoria Beckham, Kim Kardashian and other celebs; these goods are so impossibly difficult for the average person to get - even those willing and able to spend £7000 - £10,000 for their "basic" bags, or £200,000 for their "premium" bags. But you can always join their 6-year waiting list for a new bag.

Hermes could surely manufacture and sell a lot more than they currently do, but as with most luxury goods, an increase in supply results in a decrease in demand, which drives the price equilibrium down.

Well, it works. One study showed that Birkin bags outpaced both the S&P 500 and the price of gold in the last 35 years, since they were first produced in 1981. The annual return on a Birkin was 14.2%, compared to the S&P average of 8.7% a year and gold’s -1.5%. That's a 500% return on investment in 35 years!

Scarcity - real or perceived - drives the price that people are willing to pay up, significantly.

Did you know that you can buy man-made diamonds? Synthetic diamonds (also rubies and sapphires) are indistinguishable from mined diamonds. They are created in the same way - with heat and pressure - and have identical physical properties.  Diamond mining is dangerous, often involves child and slave labour, and has a devastating impact on the environment. You will have heard the term "blood diamonds", which refers to the illegal trading of diamonds to fund war and terrorism in African countries.

Despite being 100% identical, mined diamonds cost 4-5x more than synthetic diamonds, and have significantly greater resale value. Mined diamonds take billions of years to form, and there's a finite amount of them in the earth. They are hard to find and require a complex infrastructure and workforce. In contrast, a laboratory can mass-produce perfect diamonds quickly, efficiently, ethically and perpetually. 

It's not the end product that we value so much is it?

We don't want to miss out.

We all experience FOMO: Fear Of Missing Out.

From an evolutionary perspective, FOMO served as a necessary survival function. It was a useful adaptation, at a time when we didn't know where our next meal was coming from.

Being a part of a group or community gave us a better chance of securing food, water, shelter and protection. To be cast out was quite literally a death sentence.

It's a feature, not a bug.

Not having critical information, access to resources, or simply feeling left out of the in-group produces a stress response in the amygdala. At worse, we find ourselves in a perpetual state of hypervigilance - constantly on the lookout for perceived threats.

Scarcity marketing is used to exploit our built-in fear of missing out.

"ONLY 1 ROOM LEFT!"

"5 people looking at this right now"

"Limited Edition"

"While stocks last"

"As seen on..."

"And right now, you can save 20%"

You know the triggers that prompt you to act fast, think later.

Companies may even target the consumer directly: Ads featuring people of similar age and background using a product, or celebrities that you admire (determined by your content consumption).

Once you recognise this, you will see it everywhere.

We are, by our nature, more attracted to that which we cannot have, what our friends and colleagues have, and what the people we admire have.

For a company, cultivating a scarcity mindset amongst its customers is often more lucrative than cultivating an abundance mindset.

Creating a sense of FOMO through scarcity can induce more emotion and be an overall more powerful marketing tactic than promoting a product for its utility and strengths.

This is also why social media and online shopping can leave us feeling anxious or stressed out.

The internet addict is in a constant low-level state of fight-or-flight; the fear of being left behind like an itch in the back of the brain.

In such times, it is helpful to remind ourselves that there's plenty to go around; that we're not missing out on anything.

The only thing we might miss out on is the moment itself.