fbpx
Connect with us

Technology

8 ways to minimize digital clutter on your PC

Published

 on

digital clutter

If you are reading this article, you have probably already gone overboard. If you can barely see your desktop background behind the wall of icons. If your cookies are so scattered even Facebook doesn’t know what you like. If you have over 45 tabs open, or if you can only download an app by deleting another one for space, this article is for you. 

No matter how many times you hear Jordan Peterson saying, “Clean your damn room,” often more immediate tasks will take precedence in your life, and by the end of the day all you want to do is relax. 

Sadly, the only solution is to bite the bullet, and realize that sooner or later the problem will become too big for comfort. One day, you will be required to find an important file for work or anything, and it will take you around ten times longer to find it, if at all. 

What is digital clutter exactly? 

Digital clutter is exactly what it says on the tin. Files, folders, documents, music, photos, videos, all those downloaded movies and series, desktop icons all cluttered up beyond recognition or navigability, and at least one unknown folder that sounds too important to delete. 

Clutter can also come in the form of followers and pages on social media, thousands of undeleted emails, online subscriptions, cookies, internet bookmarks, and old passwords on sites you haven’t visited since your childhood. 

That last one could be somewhat dangerous. Who knows what you got up to as a child discovering the internet, gleefully giving up your personal information to a shady half-done site for access to games. For that we recommend resorting to a password manager, so that nothing can come back to bite or bother you. 

A social media cleanse is a whole other bag of monkeys. Most people opt to create a separate account and leave the burning pile of redundancy behind. Starting over in the new account is one way to do it, following only your most favorite pages, and carefully choosing the people to add as friends or followers.  

In the case of a cluttered-up machine, however, many cannot afford to simply abandon ship and buy a new laptop or PC and forget the whole thing. You might also have some valuable or sentimental things left behind that you forget about, because of course you did. 

Clearing the clutter 

Sorting digital clutter is not fun, but you will one day have to address the elephant in the room one way or another.  

But you know what they say, they best way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time. 

In the same sense, sorting digital clutter is a meticulous, purposeful, and long-term process. Dedicate yourself to completing one task per day. For example, today you can check your passwords using a free password manger. The next day, organize your photos. In a few weeks you should be able to find anything you are asked to find on a short notice. Or shorter than it would have been otherwise at least.  

Practicing digital minimalism 

Minimizing digital clutter is a matter of habit and lifestyle. Piles of laundry in your room don’t just pop up. They grow slowly, shirt by shirt, one lazy decision at a time. After, or during your organization escapade, also cultivate the habit of self-control and awareness when browsing. 

As a user of the internet in the 21st century, knowing how to practice digital minimalism, or at the very least being aware of its importance is an essential habit that we definitely did not learn in school. 

Here are some useful digital minimalism tips, and practical steps you can take to declutter your digital life: 

  1. Organize your folders and files: Your folder structure should look more like a hierarchy pyramid, with major fills containing sub-files containing lesser files within them and so on.  
  1. Clean up your inbox daily: Time for a trip down memory lane… with a flamethrower. Purge your inbox of the things you know you will never need and do that every day for the next few weeks. 
  1. Categorize your photos: All your photos should be in one folder, which in turn should have folders within it with specific categories like University, Work, Johnny’s birthday, Malaysia Trip, and Other. 
  1. Purge your social media: Either take the time to unfollow, unlike, unfriend or what have you, or abandon ship and create a separate account.
  1. When in doubt, use the cloud: Cloud servers are a great place to store your most valuable data, and backup most of your essentials.  
  1. Digitally detox:  Take a break, read a book, or go for a walk. There are a million ways to spend your time than browsing YouTube without a goal.
  1. Turn off notifications: But not your spouse or child’s messages, more like YouTube and Tiktok. 
  1. Start managing your passwords: If you are some who tends to use the same password for everything, this one is for you. This task is perhaps the biggest weight of your shoulder once done. 

The internet is a culmination of all the world’s knowledge and experience accessible via finger tap, and we humans are curious creatures. It is the land of plenty, too much to carry in fact, and so it is up to each of us to develop a content filter out only that which will enrich us.  

You will surely get lost and end up back where you were unless you become a conscious surfer, with a purposeful drive behind using this powerful tool, and a greater appreciation for your time and headspace. 

Junior social media strategist with a degree in media and communication. Technology enthusiast and freelance writer. Favorite hobby: 3D modeling.

Technology

What are the Ethical Issues in Biometrics?

Published

 on

Ethical Issues in Biometrics

What is biometric identification? It is the process through which unique biological characteristics are used in biometric identification to recognize and validate a person. These characteristics can be found in facial traits, eye structures, DNA, fingerprint patterns, and even handwriting. All this data that can be gathered on an individual inevitably brings up the ethical issues in biometrics that need to be addressed.

Facial recognition and fingerprint scans were previously the domain of security, and they were utilized for identification and law enforcement. However, increasingly more business and civil applications are using biometrics authentication. Due to this increased use, it is crucial to address the moral and ethical issues in biometrics when used in the creation of new application and technology.

Applied biometrics and corporate ethics have received little empirical study despite the widespread use of biometric technologies. As a result, there is plenty of room for future study to help us better comprehend the moral consequences of adopting this technology.

This article examines the ethical concerns associated with the use of biometric technology on the use of biometrics for non-security applications as well as the moral ramifications for business.

Ethical Issues in Biometrics and Privacy

Biometric data takes privacy concerns to a whole new level that typical data gathering only touches on. Digital identities can be forged, and anonymity on the web can be maintained to a degree if you know how. Also, digital data can be deleted – if we forget that Meta (Facebook) has been revealed to store deleted data, which is an ethical concern in itself.

The problem with biometric data is that it is unforgeable, unconcealable, and permanent, You can’t change your eye structure, your fingerprint, or your facial features. Big tech companies already have your face, fingerprints, and your voice recorded and stored via current biometric authentication systems – mainly used for unlocking your phone. That data will be there forever, and there is little that people can do about it besides avoid it In the first place.

While many companies still give users the option of using a good old fashion passcode to unlock their phones, as technology as a whole tends to do, the biometric alternative is slowly gaining more traction, and will one day become the norm, as it is hard to argue its convenience and security. You can’t accidentally leave your eyeball at home or forget your fingerprint. But in the same sense, you can’t change it. If your childish curiosity while browsing the web put a black spot on your record, there’s no changing that.

Therein lies the question of who if anyone should have access to such data. Today’s tech giants have all our data in their hands, that won’t change with the spread of biometric verification methods. Indeed, it will only increase targeting capabilities.

While the collection of biometric data on its own does not necessarily mean it will be shared, monetized, or abused in any way, it never the less requires clear and strict guidelines and regulations to be implemented around it. There are too many things that can be abused by the wrong party when the ethical issues in biometrics are not taken seriously, and if such limitations are not applied stringently.


Inside Telecom provides you with an extensive list of content covering all aspects of the tech industry. Keep an eye on our Technology space to stay informed and up-to-date with our daily articles.

Continue Reading

Technology

Oppo Reno 8 and Reno 8 Pro: Specs and Comparison   

Published

 on

Oppo Reno 8

The Reno line of smartphones has always had a fantastic camera and an attractive design. The Reno 8 and 8 Pro include a 120Hz AMOLED display, the newest Dimensity chipsets, 80W fast charging, a 32-megapixel front camera, and triple 50-megapixel back cameras, among other notable features that make the Oppo Reno 8 and Reno 8 Pro high-quality yet affordable option for anyone. 

Here we compare the two latest Oppo phone series iterations and see what to expect from the flagship Oppo smartphone, and how the Oppo Reno 8 and the Oppo Reno Pro stack up against each other. 

Oppo Reno 8 Specifications 

The Oppo Reno 8 has a smaller 6.43-inch full-HD+ AMOLED display with a resolution of 1,080 by 2,400 pixels, a 90Hz refresh rate, and Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection. It also runs Android 12 with ColorOS 12.1 on top. Additionally, the display has an 800 nits maximum brightness and a 20:09 aspect ratio. An octa-core MediaTek Dimensity 1300 SoC, up to 8GB of LPDDR4x RAM, and up to 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage are all found within the Oppo smartphone. 

The Reno 8 has a triple back camera configuration for pictures and movies, with a 50-megapixel main sensor and an f/1.8 lens as its focal point. Additionally, there is a 2-megapixel macro camera with a 112-degree field of view and an 8-megapixel sensor coupled with an f/2.2 ultra-wide angle lens. 

The Reno 8 offers 5G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth v5.3, GPS/A-GPS, NFC, and a USB Type-C connector as connection options. An accelerometer, light, gyroscope, magnetometer, and a proximity sensor are among the sensors on board. For biometric verification, the phone also has a fingerprint sensor hidden behind the display. A 4,500mAh battery inside the Oppo Reno 8 supports 80W Super Flash Charge quick charging. The phone weighs 179 grams and has dimensions of 160 x 73.4 x 7.67mm. 

Oppo Reno 8 Pro Specifications 

A 6.7-inch full-HD+ (1,080×2,412) AMOLED display with up to 120Hz refresh rate and Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection is included with the Oppo Reno 8 Pro. Running on top of Android 12 is ColorOS 12.1. Additionally, the display supports HDR10+ and is certified by Netflix HD, Amazon HDR, SGS Low Motion Blur, and SGS Low Blue Light. The MediaTek Dimensity 8100-Max SoC, which has eight cores, and up to 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM power the smartphone. Storage on the Oppo Reno 8 Pro is UFS 3.1 capable of up to 256GB. 

The Oppo Reno 8 Pro boasts a triple rear camera arrangement with a 50-megapixel Sony IMX766 main sensor and an f/1.8 lens, an 8-megapixel sensor and an ultra-wide lens with an f/2.2 aperture and a 112-degree field of view, and a 2-megapixel macro camera with an f/2.4 aperture. Along with the MariSilicon X NPU, the phone’s camera will offer generally better performance in both bright and dim light. It has a 32-megapixel front-facing camera sensor with an f/2.4 lens for taking selfies and making video calls. 

The phone has 5G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth v5.3, GPS/A-GPS, NFC, and a USB Type-C connector as connectivity options. An accelerometer, a light meter, a gyroscope, a magnetometer, and a proximity sensor are among the sensors built into the phone. For biometric authentication, the phone also contains a fingerprint sensor underneath the touchscreen. The smartphone has a 4,500mAh battery that supports rapid charging at 80W Super Flash Charge. The phone weighs 183 grams and has dimensions of 161 x 74.2 x 7.34mm. 

Both the Oppo Reno 8 and Reno 8 Pro are prime smartphones that can fit any user’s preferences and can be considered premium smartphones on the cheaper side. If you like photography, you will be satisfied with the level of quality overall, but keep in mind that neither phone is particularly water resistant, so be careful where you take it.  


Inside Telecom provides you with an extensive list of content covering all aspects of the tech industry. Keep an eye on our Technology sections to stay informed and up-to-date with our daily articles. 

Continue Reading

Technology

Electric Cars vs Gas Cars: How do They Compare Today

Published

 on

Electric Cars vs Gas Cars

Many prefer the rumbling ‘vroom’ of a gasoline car to the soft hum of an electric vehicle, while others would rather just be satisfied in the knowledge that they are lessening their carbon footprint. Let’s look at the cold hard facts however, and compare electric cars vs gas cars

Electric Cars vs Gas Cars: Components

The amount of moving components is an important distinction between electric and gasoline-powered automobiles. While a gasoline-powered car contains hundreds of moving components, an electric vehicle just has one, the motor. Another significant distinction is that the electric car has fewer moving components. The electric car is more dependable and needs less routine maintenance. The maintenance needed for a gasoline-powered car ranges from routine oil changes, filter replacements, tune-ups, and exhaust system repairs to less frequent component replacements including water and fuel pumps, alternators, and so on.

Electric Cars vs Gas Cars: Maintenance

The expenses associated with maintaining an electric car are reduced since there are less maintenance requirements. The shaft, the only moving component of the electric motor, is extremely dependable and needs little to no maintenance. The controller and charger are electrical devices that require minimal to no maintenance because they have no moving components. Modern sealed lead acid batteries are maintenance free and utilized in electric cars nowadays. However, these batteries have a finite lifespan and will eventually need to be replaced. New batteries are being developed to increase the range of electric cars as well as the battery pack’s lifespan, perhaps eliminating the need to replace the battery pack throughout the course of the vehicle’s lifespan.

Electric Cars vs Gas Cars: Efficiency

In addition to being simpler and less expensive to repair than gasoline-powered vehicles, electric vehicles are also more cost-effective to run. The electric car will drive roughly 43 miles for $1 based on the efficiency of 3 miles/kwhr and the cost of power at 7 cents per kwhr. The gasoline-powered car will go roughly 18 miles based on the average gas mileage of 22 miles per gallon and the price of gasoline at $1.25 per gallon. As a result, an electric car may drive more than twice as far on a dollar’s worth of petrol.

Where Electric Falls Behind

There are still a number of difficulties for the owner of an electric car despite the fact that it will be less expensive to operate and maintain.

The primary issue is the restricted range offered by existing battery technology. The amount of driving distance possible utilizing the current batteries is between 50 and 150 miles. These ranges are being extended by new battery technologies, and prototypes of these batteries have shown ranges of up to 200 miles between recharging. Solar powered charging stations are being implemented in numerous places to decrease range anxiety towards electric vehicles

The lack of qualified service professionals to repair and maintain electric cars is another issue that faces their owners. A two-year associate degree program has been developed to train high school graduates to become proficient electric vehicle technicians, and training programs are being developed and made available to upgrade the conventional automotive technician with the skills needed to maintain an electric vehicle.

Infrastructure to recharge the batteries is also required. The most important component of the infrastructure for recharging already exists: electric power is accessible practically everywhere. To support the electric car, it is still necessary to guarantee that charging stations with the right sorts of service (i.e., maximum voltage and current) are placed in important areas. Plans must also be made.


Inside Telecom provides you with an extensive list of content covering all aspects of the tech industry. Keep an eye on our Technology sections to stay informed and up-to-date with our daily articles.

Continue Reading

Trending