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Readers response: What exercises or activities do you enjoy that help you stay mobile?

It's no secret that we start to physically show down as we age, but keeping active and mobile can keep us going. We asked our readers what exercised they do to keep mobile in retirement years, and the response was overwhelming. Here's what they said. Karen Ambrose - I’ve been a dance teacher since 1982 and am still teaching. Dancing is my happy place! Rosemary Andrews - Dragon Boat Paddling. I started when I was 59. Still going 14 years on. Love it!! Anne Gray - Pilates, Yoga, Zumba. Sue Ryan - Boxing, HIIT, Body Attack, Pilates, Aqua, Pump and running. I’m 72. Wendy Oliver - Chair based exercises. Anne Moulynox - Pickleball at least twice a week. I took up ballet at 70 but gave it up as it was far too sedate, so took up Pickleball at 73. Sally O'Neill - Volunteering makes me get up and meet other people. Robyn Harrison - Swim a kilometre twice a week and two long walks on the beach each week. Suzanne Bluett - Nothing better than walking. Lorraine Clarbull - Tai Chi. Image credits: Shutterstock

Body

Do mobile phones cause brain cancer? Science makes definitive call

The question of whether mobile phones - specifically the electromagnetic radiation or radio waves emitted by these devices - cause cancer has been debated and researched for a long time, and now scientists have made a definitive call. A new comprehensive review commissioned by the World Health Organization has found that mobile phones are NOT linked to brain and head cancers. The systematic review, led by the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (Arpansa), examined over 5,000 studies, which included 63 observational studies on humans published between 1994 and 2022 and is "the most comprehensive review to date" according to review lead author, associate prof Ken Karipidis. “We concluded the evidence does not show a link between mobile phones and brain cancer or other head and neck cancers," he said. The review, which was published on Wednesday, focused on cancers of the nervous system, salivary gland and brain tumours. They found no overall association between mobile phone use and cancer, even if people have used it for a long time (over 10 years) or spend a lot of time on their phones. “I’m quite confident with our conclusion. And what makes us quite confident is … even though mobile phone use has skyrocketed, brain tumour rates have remained stable,” Karipidis continued. Despite emitting electromagnetic radiation, also known as radio waves, the exposure is relatively low. Karipidis said people hear the word radiation and assume it is similar to nuclear radiation, “and because we use a mobile phone close to the head when we’re making calls, there is a lot of concern.” He clarified that “radiation is basically energy that travels from one point to another. There are many different types, for example, ultraviolet radiation from the sun." “We’re always exposed to low-level radio waves in the everyday environment.” While exposure from mobile phones is still low, it is much higher than exposure from any other wireless technology sources since they are used close to the head, Karipidis said. The association between mobile phones and cancers came about from early studies comparing differences between those with and without brain tumours and asking about their exposure history. According to Karipidis, who is also the vice-chair of the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection, the results from these kind of studies tend to be biased, as the group with the tumour tend to overreport their exposure. Based on these early studies WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) designated radio-frequency fields like those from mobile phones as a possible cancer risk, but Karipidis said "this classification doesn’t mean all that much”. This is because the IARC has different classifications of cancer risk, with some substances classified as a “definite” carcinogen (such as smoking), and others as “probable” or “possible” carcinogens. Tim Driscoll, a professor at the University of Sydney and chair of the Australian Cancer Council’s occupational and environmental cancers committee, also backed the systematic review. “I think people should feel reassured by this study … but it’s worthwhile just remembering that the studies aren’t perfect, but the weight of evidence certainly is that mobile phones should be considered safe to use in terms of any concerns about increased risk of cancer,” Driscoll said. Images: Shutterstock

Body

The captivating winners of the Mobile Photography Awards

It turns out your smartphone camera can do much more than capture pictures of your pets, family holidays and fancy meals. These budding photographers have pushed the limits of their smartphone camera and emerged victorious in the first <a href="https://www.britishphotographyawards.org/2024-mobile-photography-awards/gallery" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mobile Photography Awards</a>, launched this year by the British Photography Awards (BPA), in partnership with Samsung. Entrants submitted their snaps under categories including Portrait, Landscape, Night Scenes, Food & Drink, Pets and Zoom In, creating some of the most breath-taking pics that look as though they have been taken with a professional camera. BPA Awards Director & Photographer, Hugo Donnithorne-Tait, said, "As photography continues to develop as a medium, it is clear that the way people take and enjoy photos is changing too.' "More and more photographs today are being captured only because people have a top camera in their pocket when they need it. This means so many more of life’s moments are being documented." This year's winning photos feature a father and son sleeping side by side, a hiker atop the Scottish Highlands, the bustling London streets from above and below, a furry friend at bath time, and a few hungry seagulls. All image credits: British Photography Awards

International Travel

How to avoid mobile phone bill horror stories when travelling

"I'm sorry, calls to this number are not allowed, please try again later". This. Again. At 1am standing outside what I thought was our Galway Airbnb, but instead was a popular alley for Irish revellers to relieve themselves. Brilliant. After begging a convenience store manager, borrowing a phone and stealing some local wi-fi, we made it to bed before 3am (one-star rating for the Airbnb host, naturally). Such was the power of the phone company when you're on holiday, I still got pinged far-too-high amounts for calls and data used to attempt a check-in at the Irish abode. A reader recently contacted me wanting to avoid such a conundrum by asking for the best SIM cards available in Europe. Thankfully, EU law has recently shielded travellers from harsh cross-border roaming charges by ruling that providers cannot charge excessively for access to rival networks in fellow EU nations. You'll see the kiosks hawking pre-paid SIM packages at many major airports. If you want the dependability a SIM provides, assess your needs and shop around. Better yet, get to know your smartphone better and use the whole range of mobile apps that will soon make international call and text roaming redundant. Organising hotels, taxis, tours, dinner reservations as well as calling home and making your friends and colleagues jealous with holiday snaps can all be done with a wi-fi connections, which are readily available and far cheaper (if not free). Avoid phone bill shock when you're away <ul> <li>Contact your mobile phone company rep about your destination and length of stay to see what add-ons and spending caps may be best.</li> <li>Only purchase local SIMs if you're in the country more than a week, have an unplanned itinerary or will have no free wi-fi at your accommodation.</li> <li>If you're on a per-day bundle, choose a few days to be on-the-grid and turn off your mobile data on other days.</li> <li>Go wi-fi only, in North American, Asian and European cities it's readily available.</li> <li>Embrace apps like Uber, Gett, WhatsApp, OpenTable and TripAdvisor to book taxis, call home and book restaurants and tours using hotel wi-fi and thus limiting calls.</li> </ul> Image credit: Shutterstock Written by Josh Martin. Republished with permission of <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stuff.co.nz</a>.

Travel Tips

Tips for safe mobile banking

As we increasingly turn to our mobile devices for online transactions, it’s crucial to keep security in mind. We’ve all misplaced our mobile phone at some stage and the last thing you want is for some random stranger to get direct access to your bank accounts and other personal details. 1. Use a strong password – This goes without saying.While it might not be as critical with your library pass, someone who cracks or guesses your online banking password can drain your account dry. If you memorise just one strong password, make it your online banking password. 2. Never store passwords on your smartphone – Many people still try to hide passwords or PIN numbers within the body of text or phone numbers. However, despite how cleverly you may think you've concealed them, criminals know what to look for and where. It's always best to commit these security details to memory and not record them anywhere. This includes not ticking "save password" on website and applications that offer to remember your login details. Also make sure you limit other personal information. Criminals are interested in more than just your internet banking details. Any kind of personal information can be used to steal your identity, which criminals can then use to apply for credit cards, personal loans, even mortgages. 3. Use a password manager – Okay, in the real world you probably have more than one online financial account. Rather than strain your brain memorising hard-to-crack passwords for each of them, look at enlisting the help of a password manager. There are plenty of apps available and the best ones not only store your passwords securely but also help you work through your collection of passwords and replace weak ones and duplicates. 4. Activate smartphone security settings and password protection – All smartphones have built-in security features such as auto-locking and password protection. While it may seem like a bit of an inconvenience at times, these physical security measures are your first line of defense in keeping your smartphone and your personal details safe. You can also install smartphone security software as well as remote data wiping software if you lose your phone or it gets stolen. 5. Connect through your data plan – If you're banking online on a mobile device, you have a degree of in-built protection available when you turn off wi-fi tethering and bluetooth and connect using your mobile data plan. It's a lot harder for criminals to sniff your mobile data stream than to snag passwords from network traffic. If you’re on wi-fi only use reputable hot spots that are password protected. If you connect to a shared wi-fi hotspot you are completely dependent on the security of the host network. 6. Don't be tempted to jailbreak your smartphone – If you crack the manufacturer's security on your smartphone, you not only make your warranty invalid but you make it much more vulnerable to attacks by cybercriminals. 7. Clear your phone when you replace it – If you sell or discard your smartphone, it's crucial you delete all personal information first. This includes SMS messages, emails, photographs, contact details and internet links. Image credit: Shutterstock

Money & Banking

Could mobile phones revolutionise chronic wound treatment?

Australian researchers are developing a contactless, thermal imaging system that uses artificial intelligence to help nurses determine the best way to treat leg ulcers without waiting to see if the wound is going to heal properly. It’s estimated that 450,000 thousand Australians currently live with a chronic wound. Being able to predict early on which wounds will become chronic could improve outcomes by enabling nurses to start specialised therapy as soon as possible. But current techniques rely on physically monitoring the wound area over several weeks. New research from RMIT in Melbourne paired thermal imaging with AI. The software was able to accurately identify unhealing ulcers 78% of the time, and healing ulcers 60% of the time, according to the new study <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-20835-y" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">published</a> in Scientific Reports. “Our new work that identifies chronic leg wounds during the first visit is a world-first achievement,” says lead researcher Professor Dinesh Kumar, from RMIT’s School of Engineering. “This means specialised treatment for slow-healing leg ulcers can begin up to four weeks earlier than the current gold standard.” How do you normally assess wound healing? The work builds on <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-92828-2.epdf?sharing_token=7SIEmbOksKOou2TGQ5qPWdRgN0jAjWel9jnR3ZoTv0NntGTf8gfSMhoDjLAz58SefUeGL0aP2A-0mDVnZaiZTcBjNNpA4cvP9FgK6-aoPzyk4oQ0OSbPh83HNS_AwGDQVMg43K4WmG60QDoQohtsdkaRv70YSxfPg4Dn0qa_CUs%3D" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">previous research</a> by the same team, which found that this method could be used to predict wound healing by week 3 after initial assessment. But they wanted to know whether healing could be predicted from the first wound assessment only, reducing any delay in treatment. If a wound is healing normally it’s area would reduce by 50% within four weeks, but more than 20% of ulcers don’t heal in this expected trajectory and may need specialist interventions. Venous leg ulcers (VLUs) are the <a href="https://treasury.gov.au/sites/default/files/2022-03/258735_wounds_australia.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">most common</a> chronic wound seen in Australia and currently, the gold standard for predicting their healing– conventional digital planimetry – requires physical contact. Regular wound photography is also less accurate because there can be variations between images due to lighting, image quality, and differences in camera angle. But a non-contact method like thermal imaging could overcome this. The thermal profile of wounds changes over the healing trajectory, with higher temperatures signalling potential inflammation or infection and lower temperatures indicating a slower healing rate due to decreased oxygen in the region. So, taking thermal images of wounds can provide important information for predicting how they will heal. What did they do? The study collected VLU data from 56 older participants collected over 12 weeks, including thermal images of their wounds at initial assessment and information on their status at the 12th week follow-up. “Our innovation is not sensitive to changes in ambient temperature and light, so it is effective for nurses to use during their regular visits to people’s homes,” says co-author Dr Quoc Cuong Ngo, from RMIT’s School of Engineering. “It is also effective in tropical environments, not just here in Melbourne.” “Clinical care is provided in many different locations, including specialist clinics, general practices and in people’s homes,” says co-author Dr Rajna Ogrin, a Senior Research Fellow at Bolton Clarke Research Institute. “This method provides a quick, objective, non-invasive way to determine the wound-healing potential of chronic leg wounds that can be used by healthcare providers, irrespective of the setting.” So, what’s next? There are a few limitations to this study. First, the number of healed wounds in the dataset was relatively small compared to unhealed wounds, and the study only investigated older people. The authors recommend that “future research should focus on improving the predictive accuracy and customising this method to incorporate this assessment into clinical practice on a wider pool of participants and in a variety of settings.” Kumar says that they are hoping to adapt the method for use with mobile phones. “With the funding we have received from the Medical Research Future Fund, we are now working towards that,” he says. “We are keen to work with prospective partners with different expertise to help us achieve this goal within the next few years.” <img id="cosmos-post-tracker" style="opacity: 0; height: 1px!important; width: 1px!important; border: 0!important; position: absolute!important; z-index: -1!important;" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=222978&title=Could+mobile+phones+revolutionise+chronic+wound+treatment%3F" width="1" height="1" /> <div id="contributors"> <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/revolutionise-chronic-wounds-treatment/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">This article</a> was originally published on Cosmos Magazine and was written by Imma Perfetto. Image: RMIT University </div>

Technology

Mobile phone hoarding: e-waste not good news for the environment

What happened to your previous mobile phone after you upgraded or replaced it? Did it go in a drawer? A box in the garage, perhaps? Today marks International E Waste Day, with this year’s slogan, “Recycle it all, no matter how small!”, specifically targeting small devices with a high recycling value that are often hoarded for years before they become waste. It’s a timely reminder, as results from surveys conducted across Europe suggest that the roughly 5.3 billion mobiles and smartphones dropping out of use this year would reach a height of around 50,000 km if stacked flat and on top of each other. That’s well-and-truly over the average orbiting height of the International Space Station and about an eighth of the distance to the moon. “In 2022 alone, small EEE (Electrical and Electronic Equipment) items such as cell phones, electric toothbrushes, toasters and cameras produced worldwide will weigh an estimated total of 24.5 million tonnes – four times the weight of the Great Pyramid of Giza”, says Magdalena Charytanowicz of the WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) Forum, responsible for organising <a href="https://www.genevaenvironmentnetwork.org/events/international-e-waste-day-2022/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">International E Waste Day</a>. “And these small items make up a significant proportion of the 8% of all e-waste thrown into trash bins and eventually landfilled or incinerated.” With their valuable components of <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/technology/critical-minerals-mining-australia/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">gold, copper, silver, palladium and other materials</a>, mobile phones ranked fourth amongst small Electrical and Electronic Equipment (EEE) hoarded or unrecoverably discarded – that is put in draws, cupboards or garages – rather than repaired or recycled – or sent to landfill or for incineration. The surveys ran for four months from June 2022 and covered 8,775 households across Portugal, Netherlands, Italy, Romani, Slovenia and the UK and asked participants about common items such as phones, tablets, laptops, electric tools, hair dryers, toasters and other appliances. The top five hoarded small EEE products were (in order): small electronics and accessories (e.g., headphones, remotes), small equipment (e.g., clocks, irons), small IT equipment (e.g., hard drives, routers, keyboards, mice), mobile and smartphones, small food preparation appliances (e.g., toasters, grills). Italy hoarded the highest number of small EEE products, while Lebanon hoarded the least. You might recognise some of the reasons given, which included potential future use, plans to sell or give away, sentimental value, future value, use in a secondary residence or contains sensitive data. Others were also unsure how to dispose of the item or felt there was no incentive to recycle it, and some argued that they’d forgotten, didn’t have time or that the item didn’t take up very much space. This is a shame because such items, despite being small, pack a big punch in recyclability. <div class="newsletter-box"> <div id="wpcf7-f6-p218602-o1" class="wpcf7" dir="ltr" lang="en-US" role="form"> </div> </div> “We focussed this year on small e-waste items because it is very easy for them to accumulate unused and unnoticed in households, or to be tossed into the ordinary garbage bin”, says Pascal Leroy, Director General of the WEEE Forum, who have organised International E Waste Day. “People tend not to realise that all these seemingly insignificant items have a lot of value, and together at a global level represent massive volumes.” “These devices offer many important resources that can be used in the production of new electronic devices or other equipment, such as wind turbines, electric car batteries or solar panels – all crucial for the green, digital transition to low-carbon societies,” says Charytanowicz. <h4>What can be done about e-waste?</h4> At the governmental level, there are a number of initiatives including legislation that are coming into effect or being tightened up in order to address this increasing problem. “The continuing growth in the production, consumption and disposal of electronic devices has huge environmental and climate impacts,” says Virginijus Sinkevičius, European Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries. “The European Commission is addressing those with proposals and measures throughout the whole product life-cycle, starting from design until collection and proper treatment when electronics become waste.” “Moreover, preventing waste and recovering important raw materials from e-waste is crucial to avoid putting more strain on the world’s resources. Only by establishing a <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/technology/can-a-circular-economy-eliminate-e-waste/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">circular economy</a> for electronics, the EU will continue to lead in the efforts to urgently address the fast-growing problem of e-waste.” There is also a role for more education and communication. Launched today by UNITAR, the UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), is the first self-paced e-waste<a href="https://www.uncclearn.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> online training course</a> open to anyone. A UNITAR certificate is available upon graduation of the roughly 1.5-hour course which aims to use scientific findings in a practical way for international training and capacity building,” says Nikhil Seth, UNITAR’s Executive Director. Finally, The WEEE Forum has been actively involved in collecting, de-polluting, recycling or preparing for re-use more than 30 million tonnes of WEEE and has also run communication campaigns for almost twenty years. “Providing collection boxes in supermarkets, pick up of small broken appliances upon delivery of new ones and offering PO Boxes to return small e-waste are just some of the initiatives introduced to encourage the return of these items,” says WEEE’s Leroy. At the personal level, all you have to do is quite your hoarding habits and recycle, instead! <img id="cosmos-post-tracker" style="opacity: 0; height: 1px!important; width: 1px!important; border: 0!important; position: absolute!important; z-index: -1!important;" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=218602&title=Mobile+phone+hoarding%3A+e-waste+not+good+news+for+the+environment" width="1" height="1" /> <div id="contributors"> <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/earth/e-waste-mobile-phone-bad-news-environment/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">This article</a> was originally published on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cosmos Magazine</a> and was written by <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/contributor/clare-kenyon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Clare Kenyon</a>. Image: Getty Images </div>

Technology

To scooter, or not to scooter?

<img width="117" height="100" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/41006/julie-g-aka-barbara-bindland_117x100.jpg" alt="Julie G Aka Barbara Bindland (5)" style="float: left;"/>Barbara Binland is the pen name of a senior, Julie Grenness, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. She is a poet, writer, and part-time English and Maths tutor, with over 40 years of experience. Her many books are available on Amazon and Kindle. So, as a senior citizen, you have finally hung up your car keys, for whatever reason. That is part of our ageing journey, one day no longer being able to drive a motor car again. What’s next? Well, the senior citizen, over-60, golden oldie, can decide to purchase an electric mobility scooter. These provide both transportation and independence to anyone with limited mobility. Scooters are a great invention, assisting their owners in performing everyday tasks, such as shopping, or running errands. Electric mobility scooters are the safest way of travelling currently in Australia, even safer than walking on a footpath! There is a variety of styles of scooters available, at a variety of prices. In Australia, the costs range from $1,400 to $8,000, depending on style, number of wheels, length of battery life, and manoeuvrability, as well as number of wheels. They have a warranty, you can have a home demonstration for a test drive, and can even have lessons! Here are some questions to consider before purchasing: <ol> <li>What and how far do you intend to travel?</li> <li>Are you only planning to use your scooter locally, or do you wish to use it on trips?</li> <li>Are there tight corners where you wish to travel?</li> <li>Where will you store your scooter?</li> <li>Do you wish to carry luggage or bags with you?</li> <li>Have you considered the cost of insurance for your scooter?</li> <li>Is your vision okay at normal walking speed?</li> </ol> Overall, electric mobility scooters are easy to operate, travel at a modest speed, and are a safe and stable mode of transport, as they are designed low to the ground. If you have a disability, or issues with walking, a power scooter helps you get around and provides you with independence. With a variety of styles available, you can find one that suits your needs, and looks good too. Finally, here is a little verse about greys on scooters to lighten your day… FREEWHEELING! What a lovely day, Look, here come the greys! Freewheeling today, On their scooters again… Skateboarding teens, yah! Look out, kids, you’re in the way! Greys toot and wave, Freewheeling today, There go the greys! Have a fun grey day! Cheers from one of the greys! Do you use a scooter? How do you find it? Let us know in the comments below.

Caring

Can your mobile phone get a virus?

With nearly <a href="https://www.bankmycell.com/blog/how-many-phones-are-in-the-world" target="_blank" rel="noopener">84%</a> of the world’s population now owning a smartphone, and our dependence on them growing all the time, these devices have become an attractive avenue for scammers. Last year, cyber security company Kaspersky detected nearly <a href="https://securelist.com/mobile-malware-evolution-2021/105876/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">3.5 million</a> malicious attacks on mobile phone users. The spam messages we get on our phones via text message or email will often contain links to viruses, which are a type of malicious software (malware). There’s a decent chance that at some point you’ve installed <a href="https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?arnumber=6138859" target="_blank" rel="noopener">malware</a> that infected your phone and worked (without you noticing) in the background. According to a global report commissioned by private company Zimperium, more than <a href="https://www.zimperium.com/global-mobile-threat-report/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one-fifth</a> of mobile devices have encountered malware. And four in ten mobiles worldwide are <a href="https://blog.checkpoint.com/2020/08/06/achilles-small-chip-big-peril/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">vulnerable</a> to cyber attacks. But how do you know if your phone has been targeted? And what can you do? How does a phone get infected? Like personal computers, phones can be compromised by malware. For example, the Hummingbad virus infected <a href="https://www.wired.co.uk/article/hummingbad-malware-10-million-android-devices" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ten million</a> Android devices within a few months of its creation in 2016, and put as many as <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/jul/06/what-is-hummingbad-malware-android-devices-checkpoint" target="_blank" rel="noopener">85 million</a> devices at risk. Typically, a phone virus works the same way as a computer virus: a malicious code infects your device, replicates itself and spreads to other devices by auto-messaging others in your contact list or auto-forwarding itself as an email. A virus can limit your phone’s functionality, send your personal information to hackers, send your contacts spam messages linking to malware, and even allow the virus’s operator to “spy” on you by capturing your screen and keyboard inputs, and tracking your geographical location. In Australia, Scamwatch received <a href="https://www.scamwatch.gov.au/news-alerts/missed-delivery-call-or-voicemail-flubot-scams" target="_blank" rel="noopener">16,000 reports</a> of the Flubot virus over just eight weeks in 2021. This <a href="https://suretyit.com.au/blog/what-is-the-flubot-virus/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">virus</a> sends text messages to Android and iPhone users with links to malware. Clicking on the links can lead to a malicious app being downloaded on your phone, giving scammers access to your personal information. Flubot scammers regularly change their <a href="https://www.bitdefender.com/blog/labs/new-flubot-and-teabot-global-malware-campaigns-discovered" target="_blank" rel="noopener">target countries</a>. According to cyber security firm Bitdefender, FluBot operators targeted Australia, Germany, Poland, Spain, Austria and other European countries between December 1 2021 and January 2 of this year. Is either Apple or Android more secure? While Apple devices are generally considered more secure than Android, and <a href="https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?arnumber=6637558" target="_blank" rel="noopener">less prone</a> to virus attacks, iPhone users who “jailbreak” or modify their phone open themselves up to security vulnerabilities. Similarly, Android users who install apps from outside the Google Play store increase their risk of installing malware. It’s recommended all phone users stay on guard, as both Apple and Android are <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/zakdoffman/2021/03/16/iphone-12-pro-max-and-iphone-13-not-more-secure-than-google-and-samsung-android-warns-cyber-billionaire/?sh=596442d623f8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">vulnerable</a> to security risks. That said, phones are generally better protected against viruses than personal computers. This is because software is usually installed through authorised app stores that vet each app (although some malicious apps can occasionally slip through <a href="https://blog.pradeo.com/spyware-facestealer-google-play" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the cracks</a>). Also, in comparison to computers, phones are more secure as the apps are usually “<a href="https://source.android.com/security/app-sandbox" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sandboxed</a>” in their own isolated environment – unable to access or interfere with other apps. This reduces the risk of infection or cross contamination from malware. However, no device is entirely immune. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/459712/original/file-20220426-12-4550kz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/459712/original/file-20220426-12-4550kz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/459712/original/file-20220426-12-4550kz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/459712/original/file-20220426-12-4550kz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/459712/original/file-20220426-12-4550kz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/459712/original/file-20220426-12-4550kz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/459712/original/file-20220426-12-4550kz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/459712/original/file-20220426-12-4550kz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="A smartphone with a virus alert warning is held up by a hand in front of a dark background." /></a><figcaption>Apple devices are generally considered more secure against malware than Android devices, but they’re still at risk. Pixabay/Pexels.com (edited), <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CC BY</a></figcaption></figure> Watch out for the signs While it’s not always easy to tell whether your phone is infected, it will exhibit some abnormal behaviours if it is. Some signs to watch out for include: <ul> <li> poor performance, such as apps taking longer than usual to open, or crashing randomly </li> <li> excessive battery drain (due to the malware constantly working in the background) </li> <li> increased mobile data consumption </li> <li> unexplained billing charges (which may include increased data usage charges as a result of the malware chewing up your data) </li> <li> unusual pop-ups, and </li> <li> the device overheating unexpectedly. </li> </ul> If you do suspect a virus has infected your device, there are some steps you can take. First, to prevent further damage you’ll need to remove the malware. Here are some simple troubleshooting steps: <ol> <li> Use a reliable antivirus app to scan your phone for infections. Some reputable vendors offering paid and free protection services include <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/avast-security-privacy/id1276551855" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Avast</a>, <a href="https://www.avg.com/en-au/antivirus-for-android#pc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AVG</a>, <a href="https://www.bitdefender.com/solutions/mobile-security-android.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bitdefender</a>, <a href="https://www.mcafee.com/en-us/antivirus/mobile.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">McAfee</a> or <a href="https://us.norton.com/products/mobile-security-for-android" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Norton</a>. </li> <li> Clear your phone’s storage and cache (in Android devices), or browsing history and website data (in Apple devices). </li> <li> Restart your iPhone, or restart your Android phone to <a href="https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/how-to-turn-safe-mode-on-and-off-in-android/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">go into safe mode</a> – which is a feature on Android that prevents third-party apps from operating for as long as it’s enabled. </li> <li> Delete any suspicious or unfamiliar apps from your downloaded apps list and, if you’re an Android user, turn safe mode off once the apps are deleted. </li> </ol> As a last resort, you can back up all your data and perform a factory reset on your phone. Resetting a phone to its original settings will eliminate any malware. Protecting your phone from infection Now you’ve fixed your phone, it’s important to safeguard it against future viruses and other security risks. The mobile security apps mentioned above will help with this. But you can also: <ul> <li> avoid clicking unusual pop-ups, or links in unusual text messages, social media posts or emails </li> <li> only install apps from authorised app stores, such as Google Play or Apple’s App Store </li> <li> avoid jailbreaking or modifying your phone </li> <li> check app permissions before installing, so you’re aware of what the app will access (rather than blindly trusting it) </li> <li> back up your data regularly, and </li> <li> keep your phone software updated to the latest version (which will have the latest security patches). </li> </ul> Continually monitor your phone for suspicious activity and trust your gut instincts. If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/181720/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nvIXGeB1WgE?wmode=transparent&start=38" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption>Google’s tips on how to spot malware.</figcaption></figure> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ritesh-chugh-162770" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ritesh Chugh</a>, Associate Professor - Information and Communications Technology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/cquniversity-australia-2140" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CQUniversity Australia</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/can-your-mobile-phone-get-a-virus-yes-and-youll-have-to-look-carefully-to-see-the-signs-181720" target="_blank" rel="noopener">original article</a>. Image: Getty Images

Technology

Billions are pouring into mobility technology – will the transport revolution live up to the hype?

Over the past decade almost <a href="https://files.pitchbook.com/website/files/pdf/PitchBook_Q4_2019_Emerging_Tech_Research_Mobility_Tech_Executive_Summary.pdf">US$200 billion</a> has been invested globally in mobility technology that promises to improve our ability to get around. More than US$33 billion was invested last year alone. Another measure of interest in this area is the <a href="https://travelandmobility.tech/lists/unicorns/">number of unicorns</a>, which has doubled in the past two years. A unicorn is a privately held startup company valued at US$1 billion or more. In early 2018 there were 22 travel and mobility unicorns. By last month the number had grown to 44. The top categories in the mobility area are: ride hailing, with 11 unicorns (25.0%); autonomous vehicles, with ten (22.7%); and micromobility, with three (6.8%). The remaining 20 unicorns are in the travel category (hotels, bookings and so on). Mobility technology is more than just autonomous vehicles, ride hailing and e-scooters and e-bikes. It also includes: electrification (electric vehicles, charging/batteries); fleet management and connectivity (connectivity, data management, cybersecurity, parking, fleet management); auto commerce (car sharing); transportation logistics (freight, last-mile delivery); and urban air mobility. Promised solutions, emerging problems Much of the interest in mobility technology is coming from individuals outside the transport arena. Startups are attracting investors by claiming their technology will solve many of our transport problems. Micromobility companies believe their e-scooters and e-bikes will solve the “<a href="https://ascelibrary.org/doi/abs/10.1061/9780784413210.007">first-mile last-mile</a>” problem by enabling people to move quickly and easily between their homes or workplaces and a bus or rail station. While this might work in theory, it depends on having <a href="https://theconversation.com/fork-in-the-road-as-danish-and-dutch-style-cycle-routes-spread-19744">safe and segregated bicycle networks</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/people-love-the-idea-of-20-minute-neighbourhoods-so-why-isnt-it-top-of-the-agenda-131193">frequent and widely accessible public transport</a> services. Ride-hailing services might relieve people of the need to own a car. But <a href="https://www.som.com/ideas/publications/som_thinkers_the_future_of_transportation">there is evidence</a> to suggest these services are <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-ride-hail-utopia-that-got-stuck-in-traffic-11581742802">adding to traffic congestion</a>. That’s because, unlike taxis, more of their time on the road involves travelling without any passengers. Navigation tools (Google Maps, Apple Maps, Waze) have <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Maps">been around longer</a> than most other mobility technologies and are meant make it easier to find the least-congested route for any given trip. However, <a href="https://people.eecs.berkeley.edu/~theophile/docs/publications/Cabannes_19_ACM.pdf">research</a> suggests these tools might not be working as intended. The <a href="https://www.som.com/ideas/publications/som_thinkers_the_future_of_transportation">backlash</a> against them is growing in some cities because traffic is being directed onto neighbourhood streets rather than arterial roads. Autonomous vehicles have the goal of reducing injuries and deaths from car crashes. Only a few years ago many bold predictions were being made that these self-driving vehicles would be having positive impacts by now, but this hasn’t happened. The enthusiasm for autonomous vehicles has cooled. <a href="https://www.vtpi.org/avip.pdf">Some now believe</a> we won’t see many of the social benefits for decades. The final mobility tech area is known as mobility as a service (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobility_as_a_service">MAAS</a>). It’s basically a platform designed to make better use of existing infrastructure and transport modes. MAAS begins with a journey planner that is linked to one-stop payment for a range of mobility services – ride-hailing, e-scooters, e-bikes, taxis, public transport, and so on. MAAS is the newest entrant in the mobility tech field. It has attracted US$6.8 billion to date, but is expected to grow to <a href="https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/mobility-as-a-service-market-78519888.html">over US$100 billion by 2030</a>. This idea is creating great enthusiasm, not only among private entrepreneurs, but also in the public sector. It’s too early to know whether it will improve transportation. 3 trends are driving investment So, why do venture capitalists <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnfrazer1/2019/03/11/new-mobility-worth-billions-venture-capital-thinks-so/#198cda2247d8">continue to show so much interest</a> in mobility technology startups despite poor company performance to date? It appears they believe personal mobility will become increasingly important. <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnfrazer1/2019/03/11/new-mobility-worth-billions-venture-capital-thinks-so/#198cda2247d8">Three trends</a>support this belief. First, urban dwellers increasingly value the ability to move around easily. It’s thought to be a key ingredient for a liveable city. The problem is public transport is often not very good, particularly in the US and in outer suburbs in Australia. This is due to historically low funding relative to roads. The prospect of more funding and better public transport services in the future is not good. In part that’s because many <a href="https://www.vox.com/2015/8/10/9118199/public-transportation-subway-buses">view public transport as welfare</a> and not an essential public service. Thus, if cities want to become more liveable and competitive, they must look beyond government-funded public transport for other mobility alternatives. The second trend is declining vehicle ownership. Since 1986 US sales of car and light trucks per capita have dropped by <a href="https://www.advisorperspectives.com/dshort/updates/2020/02/04/vehicle-sales-per-capita-our-latest-look-at-the-long-term-trendh">almost 30%</a>. In Australia, new car sales <a href="https://www.budgetdirect.com.au/car-insurance/research/australian-car-sales-statistics.html">remained relatively constant</a> over the past decade, but a <a href="http://www.roymorgan.com/findings/7982-new-vehicle-purchase-intention-march-2019-201905240039">decline since 2017 is expected to continue</a>. These trends are due in part to the cost of owning a vehicle, but also because of a growing view that owning a car may not be necessary. This brings us to the third trend, which involves demographics and the <a href="https://theconversation.com/delay-in-getting-driving-licences-opens-door-to-more-sustainable-travel-57430">post-millennial desire for access to mobility</a> services <a href="https://theconversation.com/car-ownership-is-likely-to-become-a-thing-of-the-past-and-so-could-public-transport-110550">rather than vehicle ownership</a>. These trends, combined with expectations of an upward trend in prices of these services, suggests there may be good times ahead for ride-hailing and micromobility companies. It also means venture capital funding for these startups will not be diminishing in the near future. The future of transport isn’t simple Transport systems are multifaceted. No one single app or technology will solve the challenges. And, as we are discovering, some of the purported solutions to problems might actually be making the situation worse. If the goal is to get people out of their cars (for <a href="https://theconversation.com/designing-suburbs-to-cut-car-use-closes-gaps-in-health-and-wealth-83961">better health and quality of life and a better environment</a>), this will require more than a technology. Better infrastructure and public policies (including better integration of land uses and transport to reduce the need for transport) will be required – <a href="https://theconversation.com/three-charts-on-why-congestion-charging-is-fairer-than-you-might-think-124894">congestion pricing</a>being one of those. That is not to say technological innovations are not welcome as part of the solution, but they are just that … “part” of the solution. Written by Neil G Sipe. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/billions-are-pouring-into-mobility-technology-will-the-transport-revolution-live-up-to-the-hype-131154">The Conversation.</a>

Travel Tips

Alone together: How mobile devices have changed family time

There is now widespread concern about the <a href="https://theconversation.com/too-much-screen-time-linked-to-an-epidemic-of-myopia-among-young-people-111599">amount of time</a> children spend staring at screens – with many people worried about the <a href="https://theconversation.com/mental-health-risks-to-girls-who-spend-more-than-an-hour-a-day-on-social-media-new-study-93406">negative impacts</a> mobile devices might have on health and well-being. Concerns have also been raised about the influence of technological change on relationships and face-to-face interactions. Sherry Turkle, a professor of the social studies of science, came up with the famous term “<a href="http://alonetogetherbook.com/">alone together</a>” – which is also the name of her book. “Alone together” captures this idea of spending time on devices to the neglect of interacting with those who are physically nearby. Many people believe that technological changes have had a detrimental impact on the time family members spend together – with “alone together” time colonising family life. Yet, to date, very few studies have actually been done in this area. Our new <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jomf.12564">research</a> looks to change this, by providing the first real insight into how technology has impacted the way families spend their time in the UK. To do this, we analysed time diaries collected by parents and children aged eight to 16 years-old in 2000 and then again in 2015 – a period that has witnessed rapid technological change. <h2>More time at home and alone</h2> Contrary to expectations, we found that children spent more time around their parents in 2015 than in 2000. This equates to just over half an hour extra a day (347 minutes per day in 2000 and 379 minutes in 2015). Notably, all of this additional time near parents was spent at home. This was a surprising finding. But looking closer, we found that children reported they were “alone” during all of this additional time at home with their parents. In this sense then, “alone together” time has increased. Our analysis also showed some relatively small changes in time for shared family activities, with contemporary families spending less time watching TV and more time on leisure activities and family meals. But the overall time spent in shared activities has remained the same. Our data shows that mobile device use cuts across all aspects of family time. We found that children and parents both spent approximately the same amount of time (around 90 minutes) using mobile devices when together. We found all these patterns to be particularly pronounced among young people aged 14 to 16. Young people in this group spent around one hour more at home “alone” with their parents in 2015 than in 2000. Mobile device use when near their parents was also more frequent and heavily concentrated. <h2>Lack of quality time?</h2> Academics have long noted the capacity for <a href="http://sk.sagepub.com/books/families-and-time">technology to bring families together at home</a>. And while our research does seem to indicate this could be the case, this increase in time at home may also be associated with other issues such as the <a href="https://theconversation.com/helicopter-parents-the-real-reason-british-teenagers-are-so-unhappy-111673">parent’s concerns for their children’s safety</a>. <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/09/has-the-smartphone-destroyed-a-generation/534198/">Research in the US</a> finds similar patterns of change – with teens spending less time outside the home away from their parents. There is increasing evidence that the mere presence of a phone <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0265407512453827">negatively affects face-to-face interactions</a>. This may go some way then to explain <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02614367.2016.1141974">parents’ perceptions</a> of decreasing family cohesion and time together with their children, reported in earlier studies. Indeed, we found that both children and parents were using mobile devices during family meals, television viewing, and other activities. So even though this was for a relatively small amount of time, it may have a disproportionate impact on the quality of this time for family members. Of course, in some cases, it is possible that mobile devices are in fact complementing family interactions. If, for example, family members use them for video streaming, to play group games or to contact other relatives. And further research on mobile device use and content is now necessary to help ascertain their full impact on daily life and move beyond commonly held negative assumptions. But what is clear, is that although a rise in “alone together” time means families now spend more time at home, it is not necessarily in a way that feels like quality time.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/111478/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> Written by Stella Chatzitheochari, Associate Professor in Sociology, University of Warwick and Killian Mullan, Lecturer Sociology and Policy, Aston University. Republished with permission of <a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/alone-together-how-mobile-devices-have-changed-family-time-111478" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>.

Family & Pets

4 ways your mobile phone affects your body and mind

As mobile phones infiltrate nearly every aspect of our society, it can be easy to get overwhelmed and used to their constant presence. However, there are many ways that the devices impact your body and your mind. 1. It messes with your sleep Scanning your phone right before bed can disturb your slumber. The short-wavelength, bright blue light your device emits boosts your  attention during the day, but at night the light can inhibit the production  of melatonin, which helps you fall asleep. To avoid that, make a habit of not using your phone for at least 30 minutes before you close your eyes. 2. It's not easy to put down It would be easy to avoid  issues caused by your phone by simply  putting down your phone. The problem: it isn’t so easy. That twinge of phone separation anxiety is real. In fact, Rosen says, detaching from your phone can cause your brain to release the stress hormone cortisol. Of course, there are many phone apps (with calming names, such as Forest and Mute) to help you control your phone addiction. Or you can just let the battery run down and forget about it! 3. It can be a hazard while walking We all know that walking around town with your face  in your phone can be dangerous, and there are studies that underline the point. City pedestrians using  their phones looked left and right less often and were more likely  to be hit by a vehicle, according  to a review of studies on distracted  walking in the Journal of Traffic  and Transportation Engineering.   In another small experiment,  94 percent of pedestrians who were using mobile phones to talk and text didn’t see free cash hanging from  a tree. (That’s right, they walked right by a bunch of dollar bills.) 4. It hurts your eyes Your phone can do a number on your eyes. A study in the US found that about 60 percent of respondents experience digital  eye strain symptoms such as dryness, irritation, blurred vision, eye fatigue and headaches. Try blinking often, increasing font size and  taking a break from screens every 20 minutes. Written by Michelle Crouch. This article first appeared in <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/true-stories-lifestyle/thought-provoking/13-ways-your-mobile-phone-affects-your-body-and-mind">Reader’s Digest</a>. For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, <a href="http://readersdigest.innovations.co.nz/c/readersdigestemailsubscribe?utm_source=over60&utm_medium=articles&utm_campaign=RDSUB&keycode=WRN93V">here’s our best subscription offer</a>.

Technology

How to stop hackers from attacking your mobile phone while online shopping

In new research revealed by Norton’s cyber safety insight report, about 30 per cent of shoppers have fallen victim to cybercrime in the past year at a cost of a shocking $1.3 billion. The report noted that 21 per cent of smartphone users had no idea that their device was able to be hacked. Cybercrime expert Julian Plummer agrees that users are laxer about mobile security compared to their laptops. “As mobile becomes increasingly de rigueur the security risk to consumers will only rise,” said Mr Plummer, who is the managing director of Midwinter Financial Services in Sydney. There are two ways that your smartphone is able to be hacked, which is phishing and over public wi-fi networks. As hackers are only getting smarter at duping their victims when it comes to phishing, sophisticated criminals are now impersonating big-name brands, including banks and other institutions. “It used to be that seeing a padlock in the URL bar meant that the site was safe, but now hackers are ‘securing’ their sites using cheap security certificates to provide a false sense of security,” Mr Plummer warned to <a href="https://thenewdaily.com.au/life/tech/2019/05/29/mobile-phone-cybercrime-safety/">The New Daily</a>. The second way is via public Wi-Fi networks, which is surprisingly sophisticated. “Hackers use a ‘Wi-Fi pineapple’ to mimic a public wi-fi access point,” he explained. “Unfortunately, logging on to these malicious wi-fi access points allows hackers to intercept any unencrypted personal data. Always be very wary when connecting to an untrusted wi-fi network – especially overseas.” It’s easy to protect yourself from hackers though, according to Mr Plummer. “The crucial thing for mobile phone users is to stop reusing passwords,” Mr Plummer said. “With a major security breach happening almost on a monthly basis, if hackers were to get your password from one shopping website, they then have access to all your online accounts if you re-use your password.” The second way to keep your information safe might be tedious, but it’ll be worth it in the long run. It involves keeping your phone’s operating system up to date. “The main reason manufacturers provide updates is to close off security loopholes within their device,” Mr Plummer said. “Hackers are well versed in any security bugs in your mobile device, so make sure you have automatic updates turned on for your mobile phone.”

Technology

6 ways your mobile phone affects your body and mind

It can be hard to switch off your mobile phone, but there are benefits for your health if you decide to do so. 1. It can keep you safe First, some good news. Your phone can keep you safer. A study in the Journal of Emergency Medicine that analysed emergency dispatches over an 11-year period revealed that 137 more lives were saved per 100,000 patients when people called emergency services from a mobile phone rather than from a landline. They can be pretty handy in a pinch. The mobile phone can also be a bane, both to yourself and others. 2. It keeps you from focusing When you are awake, a single buzz signalling a new  notification on your phone can weaken your ability to focus on a task, researchers at Florida State  University have found. Switch your phone to “do not disturb” mode to remove the distraction. 3. It makes you achy People now spend more than five hours a day swiping, typing and tapping – and feeling achy because of it all. “Selfie elbow” is a strain injury caused by holding your elbow at an extreme angle, and roughly 85,000 people a month search for “texting thumb” and similar terms on Google. 4. Risk of cancer is low Radiation exposure, long thought to be a risk for heavy-duty phone users, is probably not a significant concern. Smartphones do emit radiation, but most scientific evidence has not linked the use of a mobile phone to cancer. One draft study found that exposing male lab rats to the highest levels allowed for mobile phones was linked to one type of rare tumor in the tissues surrounding nerves in the heart. If you’re worried, use earbuds or a headset when you talk on your phone. 5. It hinders your memory Snapping a pic with your smartphone may also hinder your memory. On a test after a visit to an art museum, students were less likely to remember objects they had taken photos of. “As soon as you hit ‘click’ on that camera, it’s as if you’ve outsourced your memory,” says psychologist Linda Henkel. 6. It hurts your eyes Your phone can do a number on your eyes. A study in the US found that about 60 percent of respondents experience digital  eye strain symptoms such as dryness, irritation, blurred vision, eye fatigue and headaches. Try blinking often, increasing font size and  taking a break from screens every 20 minutes. Written by Michelle Crouch. This article first appeared in <a href="http://www.readersdigest.com.au/true-stories-lifestyle/thought-provoking/13-ways-your-mobile-phone-affects-your-body-and-mind">Reader’s Digest</a>. For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, <a href="http://readersdigest.innovations.co.nz/c/readersdigestemailsubscribe?utm_source=over60&utm_medium=articles&utm_campaign=RDSUB&keycode=WRN87V">here’s our best subscription offer.</a> <img style="width: 100px !important; height: 100px !important;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7820640/1.png" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/f30947086c8e47b89cb076eb5bb9b3e2" />

Technology

10 mobile phone etiquette rules you should be following – but aren’t

Follow our expert phone etiquette rules to avoid being rude and annoying on your smartphone. <div id="section">1. Put your phone away at the dinner table</div> <div> This phone etiquette rule may seem obvious because, hello, it’s rude, but being courteous in public to both your dining partner and other diners is important, says Amy Rice, Gadget Expert for <a rel="noopener" href="http://gazelle.com/" target="_blank" title="" data-original-title="">Gazelle</a>. Parenting, etiquette, and financial expert Brett Graff adds, “If it rings, and you must answer it, explain to your dining companions that your child is home by him or herself or that you’re waiting for a huge business deal to close. Otherwise, ignore it,” she says. 2. End phone conversations when paying for purchases Just because you may not know the cashier doesn’t mean you can keep chatting away while they’re helping you. Unless it’s an emergency, it’s just rude to stay on the phone right in their face. 3. Never shout when talking on the phone Can you hear me now? If they can’t, maybe you should call them back later. When in public, it’s a good phone etiquette practice to try not to raise your voice while on the phone. No one else needs to be privy to your conversations—or your arguments, says Rice. 4. Never text and drive This is an obvious one. Many states have laws in place regarding texting and talking on the phone while driving. Hint: It’s a big no-no. 5. Avoid texting in work meetings You don’t want your boss looking up and seeing you texting away and completely ignoring what’s going on. Plus, if you’re the boss, it’s setting a bad example for your workers. 6. Turn off the phone in church, temple or theatre Rice says there are no exceptions to this rule. There are just certain places where cell phones should be and often are off-limits. And remember, checking your phone and having it light up in a dark theater - even if you don’t talk, text, or tweet - is just as rude. 7. Avoid talking on the phone in a waiting room Waiting rooms can be crowded and noisy—not exactly conducive to a phone call. If you must talk on the phone, Rice suggests leaving the area so as not to disturb your fellow waiting room occupants. 8. Avoid using a phone on public transportation On public transportation, people are often stressed, rushing, or exhausted. All they want to do is get where they’re going, not listen to your conversation about your cousin’s new boyfriend’s sister. “Be courteous when you are in public, enjoy the moment and your friends, but above all be smart about your smartphone manners,” says Rice. 9. Lower your voice when using your phone in public This phone etiquette guideline is a continuation of never shouting in public. Not only should you not shout, but you should automatically lower your voice. If you don’t want to hear other people’s phone conversations, they definitely don’t want to hear yours either. 10. Don't take a call in the middle of a face-to-face chat “Cell phones can destroy all your interpersonal dealings,” says Graff. “You should not even give the screen a glance while you’re speaking to someone at a party or a dinner.” Sometimes it’s best to think of how would you feel if that happened to you? If it would bother you, then you probably shouldn’t do it to someone else. Written by Felissa Benjamin Allard. This article first appeared in <a href="http://www.readersdigest.com.au/true-stories-lifestyle/thought-provoking/10-mobile-phone-etiquette-rules-you-should-be-following-but-arent">Reader’s Digest</a>. For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, <a href="http://readersdigest.innovations.co.nz/c/readersdigestemailsubscribe?utm_source=over60&utm_medium=articles&utm_campaign=RDSUB&keycode=WRN87V">here’s our best subscription offer.</a> <img style="width: 100px !important; height: 100px !important;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7820640/1.png" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/f30947086c8e47b89cb076eb5bb9b3e2" /> </div>

Technology

Is the mobile phone a blessing or a curse?

“I can’t live without my mobile phone!” is what I often hear people say as they lament about how mobiles have become an indispensable part of their lives. The blurring of personal and work lives brought about by the device are posing challenges to many. The all so common sight of heads bent, eyes staring intently at mobile screens and fingers busy tapping away repeats itself across major cities around the world. Whenever there is a moment to spare while on the train, taxi or waiting in a queue, people busy themselves with their mobile devices. Some even confess to checking in with their phones while out on a date! Such unhealthy obsession with mobile devices is disrupting how we appreciate the little things in life or miss the moments that matter. The truth is that technology overall should be seen as a tool to enhance our way of living and not as a backfill for the good things that we as humans naturally enjoy. Mobile phones have certainly made a significant impact on our lives, but I truly believe it’s for the better. It’s changed the way we communicate, whether for work or play. We are now less constrained by time and geographical location. With my mobile device, I can dial into conference calls while stuck in a traffic jam, or reply to urgent e-mails while on the go. I can send a text message or share photos and videos with friends who aren’t living in the same country. My phone calendar keeps my life organised, and even Facebook, Twitter, and instant messaging are now accessible from mobile devices! Smartphones are more than just a means to stay connected; they are also a key source of entertainment. The game of Snake was one of the first mobile games that I got hooked on way back in the 1990s. Today, the market’s flooded with mobile apps – we’re so spoilt for choice! And it’s not just games. There are apps to help you find your way around literally anywhere, apps that let you listen to your favourite music, apps to book cinema or concert tickets, and even apps that teach the alphabet to toddlers. The mobile revolution isn’t just changing the lives of urbanites like myself. I know of a young Bangladeshi woman named Shompa Akhter who has a passion for fashion and design. She dreamt about starting her own business and she did just that, opening a boutique in Kushtia featuring her own creations. Dealing with suppliers in different towns was a hassle for Shompa – purchase orders had to either be hand delivered or mailed out to suppliers. Shompa also found it tough publicising her business to potential customers outside her town. Before using a mobile phone, Shompa had never heard of e-mails! The technology intimidated her and she was sceptical about how a mobile phone and e-mail could help her business. But once she got the hang of it, she was hooked. Mobile e-mail is a blessing in her life. The 25-year-old entrepreneur now stays in touch easily with her suppliers. I hear inspiring stories like Shompa’s from so many other countries. Teachers, like Edna Cas and Imelda Pontejos from Ligao East Central School in the Philippines, have brought lessons to life in the classrooms by downloading multimedia content via smartphones using the Text2Teach programme and linking it to television screens to show to their students. Farmers, like Edi Sugara Purba in North Sumatra, Indonesia now have access to weather information critical to crops. With the information gained through his mobile phone, Edi can quickly decide how to best protect the coffee and oranges he grows. He also gets information on crop prices to help him negotiate better and decide on how to price his crops competitively. Who would have thought that mobility could effect such monumental change? It shouldn’t really be a surprise though. Information is empowering. Just ask Shompa, Edna and Edi. Still, close to six billion mobile phone users don’t own a smartphone. Another 3.2 billion people don’t own a mobile device at all. The mobile revolution is here but there are still many out there who have yet to experience its benefits. We’ve only just begun. Written by Neil Gordon. This article first appeared in <a href="http://www.readersdigest.com.au/true-stories-lifestyle/science-technology/mobile-phone-blessing-or-curse">Reader’s Digest.</a> For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, <a href="http://readersdigest.innovations.co.nz/c/readersdigestemailsubscribe?utm_source=over60&utm_medium=articles&utm_campaign=RDSUB&keycode=WRN87V">here's our best subscription offer.</a> <img style="width: 100px !important; height: 100px !important;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7820640/1.png" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/f30947086c8e47b89cb076eb5bb9b3e2" />

Technology

Improving your mobility: Easy stretches to target your hip muscles

Our hips are one of the most important muscles in our body, as they support our posture when we’re standing and moving around, which is why it’s essential that they’re healthy. <iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/289811806?app_id=122963" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" title="Hip stretches" webkitallowfullscreen="" mozallowfullscreen="" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> In this video, Taylor Harrison, author, senior’s health expert and Director of <a href="http://www.activeseniors.net.au/">Active Seniors Health Centre</a>, shares four simple stretches to improve your hip muscles. To see more videos and articles on improving your health and fitness from Taylor, <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/search.aspx?Keyword=taylor+harrison">click here</a>.

Body

Simple moves to improve mobility in your hips

Tracy Adshead is a yoga teacher specialising in yoga for seniors. She is passionate about bringing healing and healthy ageing to the community. “My body doesn’t like mornings” is something I hear all the time, mostly from my husband these days! It all starts with getting out of bed in the morning when hip joints feel tight and the general feeling is that ‘Old Father Time’ is catching up with him. How do these muscles become tight? The human body is essentially like soft plastic, it can be shaped based on the forces being applied to it. So your body adapts over time to what you do the most frequently and the one body position we all do is with great frequency is sit. What does my husband do? He sits at his desk eight hours a day hunched over a computer. In a nutshell, our overuse of the sitting posture shortens the muscles around the hip joint, turns off the otherwise powerful glutes (buttock muscles) and basically throws our hips and pelvis out of balance. Sitting also shortens the muscles that line the back of the thighs (hamstrings). The result is achy hips and lower back pain – hobbling to the bathroom in the mornings becomes the new norm. Looking after the hips joints will benefit daily life on every level, especially for activities such as gardening, golf, dance, tennis etc. Yoga is a great way to ward off the stiffness that most people begin to experience as they age. Don’t tell yourself, “I can’t do yoga because I’m already very stiff.” You have to start somewhere and it’s a long-term process. While your muscles are warm think about looking after the hips when you first get out of bed in the morning, before breakfast if possible. Any sort of arthritis in the body might mean this practice is more comfortable to do in the afternoons. Follow my demonstration of these easy practice to help your hip joint mobility. <iframe width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WW3JLkBYbmA?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> If you have had hip surgery recently, check with you doctor or physical therapist for any movement precautions. Follow Tracy on Facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TracyChairYoga/" target="_blank">here</a>.

Body

Easy chair yoga exercises to improve knee mobility

Tracy Adshead is a yoga teacher specialising in yoga for seniors. She is passionate about bringing healing and healthy ageing to the community. In the video above, you’ll see a few easy practices to help look after knee mobility. Suitable for all levels, these rotational movements help to break up calcium deposits and attract new blood into the joints. For more, follow Tracy on Facebook <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/%20https:/www.facebook.com/TracyChairYoga/?hc_ref=SEARCH&fref=nf" target="_blank">here</a>.

Body

The simple stretch to improve mobility in your hips

When it comes to stability, strength and balance as we age, our hips are an integral component, so keeping them healthy and strong is a non-negotiable. In this video, Taylor Harrison, author, seniors health expert and Director of <a href="http://www.activeseniors.net.au/" target="_blank">Active Seniors Health Centre</a>, shares a simple stretch to improve mobility and reduce pain in your hips. To see more videos and articles on improving your health and fitness from Taylor, <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/search.aspx?Keyword=taylor+harrison" target="_blank">click here</a>.

Body

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Is the mobile phone a blessing or a curse?

Improving your mobility: Easy stretches to target your hip muscles

Simple moves to improve mobility in your hips

Easy chair yoga exercises to improve knee mobility

The simple stretch to improve mobility in your hips