Will a magnet really destroy your smartphone or hard drive?

Do magnets actually pose a terrifying risk to our gadgets, and where did we get the idea that they're dangerous in the first place? Let's find out...

"This more than likely stems from old electronic devices, such as CRT monitors and televisions, which were susceptible to magnetic fields," explains Matt Newby from first4magnets, "When placing a strong magnet near one of these you could distort the picture. Thankfully, modern televisions and monitors aren't susceptible in this way."

Most modern electronics, like our smartphones, are not going to be adversely affected by small magnets; but is that all there is to it?

How do magnets affect smartphones?
"The vast majority of magnets that you come across day to day, even many of the super-strong ones on the market, will have no adverse effect on your smartphone," says Matt, "In fact, within the device there will be a number of very small magnets which perform important functions. For example, the new Apple Watch uses a magnetic inductive wireless charging system."

However, before you get carried away and start rubbing magnets all over your smartphone, there is something else to consider. Matt warned that magnetic fields can temporarily interfere with the digital compass and magnetometer inside your smartphone, and that's more serious than you may think.

The engineers over at K&J Magnetics actually experimented with an iPhone to show how the sensors inside can be affected by a magnet.

"The problem we found is that a nearby magnet will affect the internal magnetic sensors inside the phone. The compass won't read correctly," explained Michael Paul, an engineer at K&J, "What's worse, if you stick a strong magnet to the phone, you could slightly magnetize some steel components inside, making them act like weak magnets. This can make it difficult to properly calibrate the compass."

You might think it's unimportant because you never use the compass app, but that doesn't mean other apps aren't relying on the same sensor. Google Maps, for example, uses the sensor to detect which way the phone is facing, and a number of games also rely on it to work out your orientation.

This is something that Apple considers in case and accessory design. In Apple's Case Design Guidelines, there are sections on Sensor Considerations and Magnetic Interference, including the line, "Apple recommends avoiding the use of magnets and metal components in cases."

Manufacturers have to ensure that the built-in magnetic compass is not affected by their cases. There's also specific mention of the iPhone 6 Plus, because of potential problems magnets can cause for the autofocus rear camera with optical image stabilization.

It seems as though magnets aren't likely to kill your smartphone, but there's definitely a possibility they'll mess some pretty important aspects up, so why take the risk?

What about hard drives?
The idea that magnets can erase hard drives is pretty popular, especially in the world of entertainment. Walter White infamously used a massive electromagnet to try and wipe evidence off a hard drive in Breaking Bad, for example. Are our fears about magnets erasing hard drives also based on old tech?

"Magnetically recorded data could also be corrupted using magnets - including things like cassettes, floppy disks, VHS and credit cards," says Matt, "If the data is recorded magnetically, it is possible to corrupt it with magnets." Fine, but where does this leave Walter White and his hard drive?

"It is theoretically possible that an incredibly strong magnet can corrupt a hard drive if it is wiped directly over the surface of the drive," Matt explains, "However, hard drives include neodymium magnets inside them to operate the read/write arm and to record data, so again, they aren't going to be affected by regular sized magnets. If you were to stick magnets to the outside of your PC tower for example, it would not have any effect on the hard drive."

There's even better news if you have a flash or a solid state drive. "Flash drives and SSDs are not really affected by a strong, static magnetic field," according to Michael.

The engineers at K&J actually tried to use neodymium magnets for hard drive destruction, but the results were disappointing. They placed large magnets either side of a running hard drive until mechanical rubbing sounds were audible, indicating the magnets were bending parts inside. Despite this, the files on the drive remained 100% intact.

Larger magnets were also used with the drive powered down, but when it was turned back on, the files were still completely unaffected. Apparently, most companies nowadays shred hard drives to physically destroy them, because magnets cannot be relied upon to wipe data.

Do we need to worry about magnets?
At home you will be surrounded by magnets; they are in every computer, speaker, TV, motor, smartphone, to name just a few applications - modern life would simply not be possible without them.

It seems that magnets have unfairly gotten a bad press, but it's still important to exercise caution when wielding the strongest magnets.

"Strong neodymium magnets aren't toys," explains Michael, "You may have read in the news about how recently, some magnet toys were getting swallowed by very young kids. This is a very, very serious health risk, since multiple magnets can attract to one another through intestinal walls. We're talking peritonitis, which means immediate surgery is required to remove them."

Source: CNN

T-Mobile pulls ahead in the prepaid wireless field with this trick...

Need your mobile Facebook fix but don't have any data coverage? T-Mobile has one option for you.

T-Mobile has tweaked its GoSmart Mobile prepaid wireless plan to offer free Facebook and Facebook Messenger access for all customers starting in January. That means subscribers can use Facebook without chewing up their data allowance or without even needing a data plan.

Rolled out early this year, GoSmart Mobile is aimed at consumers who want low-cost unlimited mobile coverage. The plans range from $25 a month for unlimited talk to $45 a month for unlimited talk and text and 5GB of 3G data.

Mobile consumers can hop onto the program by purchasing a phone directly from GoSmart or by spending $8 for a GoSmart Mobile SIM and installing it on their GSM unlocked phone. Subscribers will be able to access Facebook by logging in from a mobile browser or by running the Facebook app on their phone.

"Facebook's mission is to give people the power to share and make the world more open and connected, and we're delighted that GoSmart subscribers, many who don't have data access, will be able to use Facebook for free," Chris Daniels, vice president of partnerships at Facebook, said in a statement.

Source: CNET

Have an expensive smartphone? Here's how to protect it in the cold weather.

Some smartphones list the optimum range of temperatures in their technical specs. For example, when it's turned off, the iPhone 5S can withstand temperatures between -4° and 113° Fahrenheit. When it's turned on, the range is much more narrow. Apple suggests 32° Fahrenheit as the lowest operating ambient temperature. Other phones are rated for much lower temperatures, and some can go as low as -4° Fahrenheit while in operation.

When lithium-ion batteries are exposed to cold temperatures, their performance suffers. When cold, a phone battery can drain faster than normal or it might say it has ample power remaining and then suddenly go dead. The problems are only temporary and the battery should behave normally when the device is brought back up to warmer temperatures.

In the event that your phone does shut down, do not restart it until you're inside and give time for your phone to warm up. Restarting your phone immediately could actually cause more harm to your phone and actually shorten your battery life.

It's not just the battery, smartphones are made up of other delicate electronic parts, like their LCD screens, that can malfunction in extreme temperatures.

Freezing temperatures can also make a phone's glass surfaces more sensitive to cracks and breaks, especially if there's already a flaw or nick in any of the glass. There have been reports of the glass on the back of the iPhone shattering in extreme cold temperatures. In Finland, where the average high temperature in the winter is 1°C, the government Consumer Agency has warned citizens that the phones might suffer performance issues in the cold weather.

To keep phones from getting too chilly, don't leave them alone in the elements, like in a parked car. Stashing them inside pockets closest to your person, where they can absorb some of your body heat, is best. If you do need to leave it behind, turn the phone off instead of just putting it to sleep.

Cases also help to keep phones warm. There are even cases especially built to regulate a phone's temperature in extreme situations.

If you're depending on the phone to make outgoing calls in case of an emergency, say while driving on icy roads, keep a back-up power source with you.

Samsung Galaxy S4 to come preloaded with LoJack & recovery service.

There are apps and settings to locate a lost or stolen smartphone, and to remotely wipe the contents, but those will only get you so far if your phone's actually been nabbed.

On Tuesday, LoJack for Laptops maker Absolute Software announced the imminent release of LoJack for Android smartphones, starting with Samsung's Galaxy S4.

In the event that your smartphone disappears, through your own carelessness or malicious intent, LoJack's software offers remote locking and deleting to keep your photos, passwords, and other sensitive information private.


However, what you really pay for is the company's team of cybercrime-cracking "recovery specialists" who will attempt to go out and retrieve your absconded-with phone.

LoJack will be embedded in the Galaxy S4's firmware layer, where it remains dormant until you awaken it with a monthly subscription that becomes your theft insurance - pricing starts at $29.99 per year for subscriptions that range from one to four years. Even if robbers wipe your phone to the factory settings, LoJack is still active, and unremovable.

LoJack for Android phones becomes available early this summer.

Source: CNET

Google seeks test subjects for new smart glasses. What's the catch? You have to pay them $1,500!

Google has announced that it plans to release a small number of Google Glass products....the glasses that do everything. (As they should for a whopping $1,500 + tax).

Interested in becoming a tester (or "explorer" as Google puts it)? In order to be a Glass tester, you need to get noticed. How? Of course through social media. But that's not all you need. If selected, you'll have to cough up $1,500 (plus applicable taxes) and attend a "special pick-up experience," in person, in New York, San Francisco or Los Angeles (at your expense).

Definitely a great piece of technology anyone would want to have. But personally, at $1,500 for just a test pair, I'll pass.

From the Google Glass website:
We’re looking for bold, creative individuals who want to join us and be a part of shaping the future of Glass. We’d love to make everyone an Explorer, but we’re starting off a bit smaller. We’re still in the early stages, and while we can’t promise everything will be perfect, we can promise it will be exciting

Using Google+ or Twitter, tell us what you would do if you had Glass, starting with the hashtag #ifihadglass.

• Your application must be 50 words or less
• You must include #ifihadglass in your application
• You can include up to 5 photos with your application
• You can include a short video (15 secs max)
• Be sure to follow us on Google+ (+ProjectGlass) or Twitter (@projectglass) so that we can contact you directly
• You must be at least 18 years old and live in the U.S. to apply
• For more details, please see our full Terms and FAQ

Source: Google Glass