Tag: phone

What is E-Waste and How Can You Reduce It?

With the astonishing pace at which technology is advancing, we have all lived through generations of models and entire categories of devices becoming obsolete. Technology that was considered cutting edge just a few years ago can’t keep pace with modern updates.

What happens to these devices when they have outlived their usefulness? Many sit in houses for years collecting dust, their owners unsure what to do with them. Eventually, most end up in the trash, which can have serious and unintended consequences.

In this article, the experts at Recycell present an overview of e-waste, its dangers, and how it can be mitigated.What is e-waste?

E-waste, also known as waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), refers to electronics that are discarded because they are unwanted, not working, or no longer considered useful. The term includes almost any item that contains circuitry or electrical components powered by electricity or a battery. Examples include microwaves, fans, smartphones, computers, DVD and Blu-Ray players, video game consoles, TVs, fax machines and printers.

E-waste is increasing exponentially, with a record 53.6 million metric tonnes generated globally in 2019, according to the Global E-waste Monitor 2020. This presents a major problem, as e-waste leaches toxic materials when disposed of in landfills. Electronics contain valuable raw materials that could be reused, but only 17.4% of the e-waste generated in 2019 was recycled, leaving the grand majority of the US$57 billion worth of raw materials in landfills.Planned obsolescence

The truth is that many of the electronics being sent to landfills don’t even need to be discarded—a lot of them still work! Technology is just evolving so fast that devices become outdated before they even have a chance to wear out. How many of us have anxiously awaited the end of our two-year plan before rushing out to buy the latest flagship phone from Samsung or Apple?

The issue of technological advances fuelling e-waste is further exacerbated by manufacturers using strategies such as software updates and ending support for older models to push consumers to buy new devices. Repair is portrayed as expensive, inconvenient, and less advantageous than buying a replacement with updated features.Consequences of e-waste disposalHealth and the environment

While electronics are safe to use and be around, most contain toxic materials such as beryllium, cadmium, mercury, arsenic and lead. When the electronics are buried in a landfill, the toxins leach into the soil and can contaminate the groundwater. While each device only releases trace amounts of toxins, the amount of e-waste now being discarded results in significant accumulation.

In Canada, it’s illegal to export e-waste to developing countries. However, other nations are in the habit of shipping their e-waste to developing countries that lack the capacity to handle it appropriately, endangering the local environment and public health. Exposure to such toxic contaminants can have irreversible health consequences such as cancer, miscarriage and neurological damage.

Furthermore, mining for the raw materials to manufacture new electronics also releases contaminants into the environment.Cybersecurity

The consequences of e-waste disposal on the environment are evident, but fewer people are aware that throwing electronics away can also pose dangers to data security and privacy. It might seem improbable, but hackers and identity thieves are perfectly willing to dumpster dive to acquire the treasure troves of data stored on old, discarded devices.

Even if you erase all of your sensitive personal information before throwing your old phone or laptop in the trash, the data is not completely eliminated from the hard drive and can be retrieved by skilled hackers. The resulting leaks can be financially and legally catastrophic for businesses and individuals alike.

Professional e-waste recycling companies have the expertise necessary to ensure that none of your sensitive data remains in the components of your device. In the end, recycling your old devices may prove just as important as securing your phone while it’s still in use!How to reduce e-waste

Materials such as steel, glass, copper, aluminum, iron, plastic and precious metals can be recovered from obsolete electronics and reused to manufacture new ones. Companies like Samsung are starting to make environmentally-friendly phones out of recycled materials. Recycling has the double benefit of keeping e-waste out of landfills and reducing the need to mine new materials.

Recycling your old electronics may seem more complicated than simply throwing them in the trash, but there are many resources available to help you recycle your phone and other devices. Most phone vendors can take care of recycling your old phone when you purchase a new one. Canada has a free program called Recycle My Cell for recycling mobile devices and accessories. They can even provide you with a pre-paid shipping label to mail your device in for recycling! The Recycle My Electronics program provides drop off points for e-waste in nine provinces across the country.

Governments also have a role to play in creating incentives to reduce e-waste. They can push companies to offer buy-back systems for old devices and encourage repair as a viable option.Help reduce e-waste by buying a used phone!

Another way for consumers to help reduce e-waste and minimize their ecological footprint is to buy a used phone. Buying a used phone reduces the demand for mining new raw materials and gives a second life to a device that might otherwise become e-waste.

Businesses that are looking to upgrade their cell phone fleets can also sell their old devices to a used phone retailer to prevent them from ending up in a landfill or in the hands of a cybercriminal. 

Why Does My iPhone Brightness Keep Changing or Dimming?

iPhone features that can affect brightness

If you find that your iPhone brightness keeps changing or dimming unexpectedly, don’t panic! It doesn’t necessarily mean that there’s something wrong with your phone. There are a variety of features that can affect screen brightness. It’s a good idea to check them all before jumping to conclusions.Auto-Brightness

Generally, if your iPhone screen keeps dimming, it’s because Auto-Brightness is turned on. This feature automatically adjusts the brightness of your phone screen based on the surrounding lighting.

If you want to stop your phone from dimming automatically due to this feature, go to Settings –> Accessibility –> Display & Text Size and toggle off Auto-Brightness. You’ll see a warning that turning off Auto-Brightness can affect battery life. This is because leaving your phone on maximum brightness all day will drain the battery faster than allowing it to adjust automatically to the ambient light.Night Shift

If your iPhone screen seems dimmer at night, it may be because you have Night Shift turned on. This feature shifts to warmer tones after sunset (using the clock and geolocation of your phone to ascertain when the sun will set) to help you fall asleep.

Go to Settings –> Display & Brightness –> Night Shift. There, you’ll be able to adjust the settings or turn Night Shift off entirely. You can also turn Night Shift on or off from the Control Center if your iPhone is running iOS 11 or later. Open Control Center by swiping down from the upper right-hand corner if your phone has Face ID, or swiping up from the bottom of your screen if not. Simply press and hold the brightness slider in the Control Center to access the Night Shift button.True Tone

True Tone is a feature that automatically adjusts the colour of your phone’s display based on the ambient light, just like Auto-Brightness does for screen brightness. The colour shift may sometimes make your screen appear dimmer. Go to Settings –> Display & Brightness and check to see whether True Tone is on!Low Power Mode

Low Power Mode is a feature that adjusts a variety of settings, including screen brightness, in order to conserve battery life. You can easily check whether your iPhone is in Low Power Mode by taking a look at the battery icon in the top right-hand corner. If it’s yellow, that means that Low Power Mode is on.

Low Power Mode will automatically turn off when your iPhone is charged to 80% or more, but if you’d like to turn it off manually, go to Settings –> Battery and toggle it off.Reduce White Point

Reduce White Point is a feature that lowers the intensity of bright colours on your screen, making the display easier on the eyes. Go to Settings –> Accessibility –> Display & Text Size to access Reduce White Point. If you don’t want to turn it off completely, you can drag the slider further to the left to lessen its effect.Common iPhone problems that can affect screen brightness

If none of the features listed above are causing your screen dimming problem, your iPhone may be experiencing a software or hardware issue. If that’s the case, there are a few simple fixes you can try before taking your phone to a professional for repair. If none of these solutions work, it may be a sign that you need a new phone.Software glitches

Whenever we’re having trouble with a device, the first piece of advice we usually hear is “try turning it off and on again.” While it may seem silly, a simple restart can actually resolve many common phone problems! Your screen brightness issues may be caused by a temporary glitch that can be resolved by restarting your iPhone.

If that doesn’t work, try updating your phone. If a software glitch is the culprit, there may be a fix for it in the latest update.Overheating

iPhones are programmed to dim automatically when they get too hot. This is a built-in feature from Apple that is designed to protect the phone’s internal components and prevent hardware damage, because the brighter a display is, the more heat it generates.

If your phone is getting too hot, it’s important to cool it down and figure out why it’s overheating. Possible causes include running power-intensive apps like mobile games or video players, having too many apps running in the background, downloads and installations and leaving your phone out in the sun. Try putting your phone in a cool place out of the sun, taking off the case and letting it rest for a while. You can even turn it off to try to speed up the cooling process.

How to Unlock Android Phone Password Without Factory Reset

These days, it seems like more and more of our lives are contained in our smartphones. These devices are incredibly versatile tools that we use for everything from social media and work emails to GPS and fitness tracking.
The more we use our phones for, the more important it becomes to ensure the security of the information they contain. To that end, manufacturers have come up with various and ever-evolving ways of checking users’ identity and locking out intruders.
Unfortunately, these vital safety measures can become a hassle if we forget our password, PIN or the pattern we use to unlock our phones. In such situations, there are a few things you can try before resorting to a full-scale factory reset.
The Android Smart Lock featureAndroid phones have a Smart Lock feature that gives you the ability to set certain conditions that will cause your device to unlock automatically. Possible conditions include:
On-body detection: Once you’ve entered your PIN or password once, your phone will stay unlocked while you’re carrying it around.

Trusted devices: Select devices you trust that have Bluetooth connectivity (e.g. your car, laptop, fitness tracker, etc.). Your phone will remain unlocked while connected to these devices.Trusted places: Select locations you trust (e.g. your home or office) and your phone will remain unlocked while there.

Voice match and trusted face: Voice and facial recognition used to be Smart Lock options, but they were discontinued with Android 8. Facial recognition is still available as a separate option.Of course, there are drawbacks to the Smart Lock feature. First of all, it needs to be set up in advance, so if you forget your password before you get the chance to activate it, you’re out of luck. Furthermore, you need to enter your current password in order to change the Smart Lock and password settings, so if you’ve forgotten it, there’s a limit to what you can do.
How to unlock a Samsung phone People who own a Samsung phone will be glad to know that the manufacturer provides an easy, effective way for you to change your password. As long as you’re signed into your Samsung account on your device, you can use the Samsung Find My Mobile website to sign in and unlock your phone, which will delete all previous unlocking methods (password, PIN, pattern, biometrics) and allow you to create new ones.
Solutions for older versions of AndroidThere are a few ways to unlock your device that have been discontinued but will still work for older versions of Android.
Google’s ‘Find My Device’ serviceLike the Samsung-specific method explained above, there are services meant for lost or stolen phones that you can use to unlock your device in some cases. If your phone is running Android 7.1.1 or lower, you can use Google’s ‘Find My Device’ service to unlock it, as long as it’s logged into a Google account.
Simply go to the website, sign into your Google account and select your device. You’ll see ‘Ring’, ‘Lock’ and ‘Erase’ options. Select ‘Lock’, and you will be prompted to enter a temporary password that you can then use to unlock your phone.
The ‘Forgot Password’ optionPhones running Android 4.4 and older come equipped with an easy way to bypass your password, PIN or pattern. Once you’ve entered an incorrect passcode 5 times on the lock screen, a ‘forgot password’ prompt will appear. If you tap it, you will be able to get in by entering the username and password of the Google account associated with your device.
How to avoid getting locked out of your phoneWhen it comes to forgetting your phone password, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. It’s best to take preventive measures to ensure that you never find yourself completely locked out of your phone. Here are some strategies you can implement to avoid the situation:
Set up biometric identification on your device for a reliable, forgetfulness-proof way of getting in.Have multiple ways of logging into your device.Enable at least one Smart Lock option.Keep a physical copy of your passcode in a secure place.Make sure you’re signed into your Google account (and Samsung account if applicable).Always back up your device so that you can recover your data if a factory reset ends up being your only option.