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Simple Ways to Maintain Your Computer

If you’ve ever fried a CPU because you didn’t clean your fan, lost a decade of your digital life to a hard drive crash, or spent four hours trying to remove a nasty virus, you’ve probably already learned a valuable lesson about the need to maintain your computer.

Medical experts remind us that “prevention is the best medicine” so as your personal computer support expert, I’m going to strongly advise that you apply the same logic to your computer!

While the three areas I talk about below are anything but exhaustive, they’re the most important things to consider and, if you act on them, should keep you from suffering from some of the more serious, and expensive, issues you might otherwise run in to.

Keep Important Files Backed Up

The most important thing you can do as a computer owner is to consistently and reliably back up the data stored on your hard drive. Hardware used to be the most valuable part of a computer but those bits and bytes are now the real investment.

You’ve spent huge amounts of money on software and digital music and video, and countless hours authoring documents and organizing your digital files. If you don’t regularly backup this information, a serious computer problem could leave you with nothing but a huge feeling of regret.

The best solution is a cloud based backup service. Yes, it’ll cost you a several dollars a month, but considering what you get, it’s the cheapest insurance policy on your important stuff that you’ll find.

Traditional backup software is an option too but all in all, it’s less safe than backing up to the cloud.

Regularly Update Your Critical Software

Keeping the software on your computer updated is no longer an optional part of computer ownership. Viruses, worms, and other malware, in addition to junk mail, security breaches, hardware incompatibilities, and software conflicts, are all now part of your daily digital life.

Updating your computer with the latest patches, fixes, and device drivers really can keep these annoyances at bay. Updates are freely available on the internet for just about every antivirus program, email client, operating system, and piece of hardware you could possibly own.

So, don’t skip those Patch Tuesday releases, don’t be scared to update your hardware’s drivers, and please make sure that you regularly scan for viruses or make sure the “always on” protection is enabled in your antivirus program.

Make Sure Things are Clean (So They Stay Cool)

We all know that most things run a little better when they’re clean. Water flows easier when your plumbing is clean, your car’s engine runs better if you’ve been taking care of it, and your dryer does more in less time when you clean out the lint.

The fans in your computer, assuming yours has any, need similar care so they can continue to keep the important components that are part of your computer nice and cool. If things get too hot, they stop working.

See Ways to Keep Your Computer Cool for lots of advice, from how to clean your fans, to other tips that can help keep the heat at bay.

Your computer is no different. Keeping your files and folders tidy in your virtual world and clearing the dust and grime that builds up inside and outside your computer all play a part in keeping it running smooth day in and day out.

What Is Retina Display?

Retina Display is the name given by Apple to the high-resolution screen technology used on various models of the iPhone, iPod touch, and other Apple products. It was introduced with the iPhone 4 in June 2010.

What Is Retina Display?

Retina Display gets its name from Apple’s claim that screens made with the technology are so sharp and high quality that it’s impossible for the human eye to distinguish individual pixels.

Retina Display smoothes the jagged edges of the pixels that make up images on screens.

The benefits of the technology are visible in many uses, but especially for displaying text, where curved font edges are substantially smoother than on previous display technologies.

Retina Display’s image quality derives from a number of factors:

  • A high density of the pixels that make up the device’s screen
  • Higher contrast ratio than previous models to create brighter whites and deeper blacks
  • In-Plane Switching (IPS) technology to improve the angles from which the screen can be viewed
  • Chemically treated glass over the screen and LED backlighting to improve the quality of the image.

The Two Factors That Make a Screen Retina Display

Here’s where things get a little tricky: There is no single screen resolution that makes something a Retina Display.

For instance, you can’t say that every device with a resolution of  960 x 640 (like the iPhone 4) has a Retina Display.

Instead, there are two factors that create a Retina Display screen: pixel density and the distance from which the screen is normally viewed.

Pixel Density refers to how tightly packed the screen’s pixels are. The greater the density, the smoother the images. Pixel density is measured in pixels per inch, or PPI, which indicates how many pixels are in one square inch of screen.

This is based on a combination of the device’s resolution and its physical size.

The iPhone 4 had 326 PPI thanks to a 3.5-inch screen with a 960 x 640 resolution. This was the original PPI for Retina Display screens, though that changed as later models were released. For instance, the iPad Air 2 has a 2048 x 1536 pixel screen, resulting in 264 PPI. That, too, is a Retina Display screen. This is where the second factor comes in.

Viewing Distance refers to how far away users generally hold the device from their faces. For example, the iPhone is generally held fairly close to the user’s face, while a Macbook Pro is generally held farther away. This matters because the defining characteristic of a Retina Display is that the pixels can’t be seen by a human eye. Something that’s seen from much closer up needs a greater pixel density for the eye not to see the pixels. Pixel density can be lower for things seen at a greater distance.

Other Retina Display Names

As Apple has introduced new devices, screen sizes, and pixel densities, it has begun to use other names for different Retina Displays. These include:

Retina Display—used on the iPhone 4, among others

Retina HD Display—used on the iPhone 6 Plus, and others

Retina 4K Display—used on the 21-inch iMac

Retina 5K Display—used on the 27-inch iMac

Super Retina HD Display—used on the iPhone X.

Google Phones: A Look At The Pixel Line

Pixel phones are the official flagship Android devices from Google. Unlike other Android phones, which are designed by a variety of phone manufacturers, Pixels are designed by Google to showcase the capabilities of Android. Verizon is the only carrier selling the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL in the U.S., but you can buy it directly from Google. The phone is unlocked, so it will work with all major U.S. carriers and Project Fi, which is Google’s own cellular phone service.

Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL

  • Manufacturer: HTC (Pixel 2) / LG (Pixel 2 XL)
  • Display: 5 in AMOLED (Pixel 2) / 6 in pOLED (Pixel 2 XL)
  • Resolution: 1920 x 1080 @ 441ppi (Pixel 2) / 2880 x 1440 @ 538ppi (Pixel 2 XL)
  • Front camera: 8 MP
  • Rear camera: 12.2 MP
  • Initial Android version: 8.0 “Oreo”

Like the original Pixel, the Pixel 2 features metal unibody construction with a glass panel on the rear. Unlike the originals, the Pixel 2 boasts IP67 dust and water resistance, which means that they can survive being submerged in up to three feet of water for 30 minutes.

The Pixel 2 processor, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835, is 27 percent faster and consumes 40 percent less energy than the processor in the original Pixel.

Unlike the original Pixel, Google went with two different manufacturers for the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL. That led to rumors that the Pixel 2 XL, manufactured by LG, may feature a bezel-less design.

That didn’t happen. Despite being manufactured by different companies (HTC and LG), the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL look very similar, and they both continue to sport fairly chunky bezels.

Like the original phones in the line, the Pixel 2 XL differs from the Pixel 2 only in terms of screen size and battery capacity. The Pixel 2 has a 5 inch screen and a 2,700 mAH battery, while its larger sibling has a 6 inch screen and a 3,520 mAH battery.

The only real cosmetic difference between the two, other than size, is that the Pixel 2 comes in blue, white and black, while the Pixel 2 XL is available in black and a two-tone black and white scheme.

The Pixel 2 includes a USB-C port, but it doesn’t have a headphone jack. The USB port supports compatible headphones, and there is also a USB-to-3.5mm adapter available.

Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL New Features

  1. Active Edge: Squeeze the Pixel 2 or Pixel 2 XL to launch Google Assistant.
  2. Google Lens: Point the camera at objects, like landmarks or the text on a movie poster, to pull up relevant information.
  3. Now Playing: Listens for music and displays the song and artist without sending or receiving any data.
  4. Always-On Display: An always-on features shows the time, notifications, and other information.
  5. Highly rated camera: The rear camera received a rating of 98 from DxOMark, the highest yet for a smartphone.
  6. Free Google Home Mini: Early adopters receive a free Google Home Mini smart speaker.

Apple is ‘looking into’ why some iPhone 8 batteries are swelling

Apple seems to have an iPhone 8 battery problem on its hands, and it’s not clear yet whether it’s occurring in just a handful of edge cases or in a larger batch of phones.

Over the past week, reports have been coming out about iPhone 8s that have split apart either on arrival or after several days of use. What appears to be happening is that the battery inside the phone is swelling, bending the front of the phone and separating it from the body of the device. So far, there haven’t been any fires — just ruined phones.

Apple has a short statement on the matter: “We are aware and looking into it.”

The first report came out of Taiwan, where a woman is said to have found her iPhone swollen apart after plugging it in to charge. Someone in Japan then posted photos of a split-apart phone on Twitter. And in the days since, there’ve been cases in China, Canada, and Greece.

There appear to be only six or so reports so far — certainly less than a dozen that have been publicly identified — so the issue seems to be quite small in comparison to the millions of phones that Apple has likely already sold. In any manufacturing run that big, there are going to be occasional issues, so on some level seeing a few broken iPhones is expected.

But after Samsung’s Note 7 fiasco, there’s reason to be concerned about what’s happening here — especially since it’s a battery issue. Batteries shouldn’t be swelling in any number, and it’s not clear what the half-dozen iPhones that are having this problem have in common. While it seems to be rare, there’s obviously good reason to want to know what’s going on.

“[Swelling is] very unusual for a brand-new battery and leads toward the direction of there’s something fundamentally wrong with this battery,” says Sam Jaffe, managing director of Cairn Energy Research Advisors, in a phone call with The Verge. Jaffe, a battery industry analyst, says manufacturers have reached a limit with lithium-ion battery capacity and could end up producing designs with a bigger risk of short circuiting in an attempt to store more power.

For now, he says, it’s too early to know what’s happening with Apple’s phones. “It could be just a random distribution,” he says. “Just a random event, and it’s only a few.”

Jaffe suspects Apple’s executives are “in crisis mode” over the potential damage that battery issues could lead to. But while we’ve seen a few swollen batteries already, he says, it doesn’t mean the problem will necessarily elevate into a Note 7-style crisis with phones starting to produce smoke.

“Swelling is always a precursor when there is a battery fire, but the percentage of actual fires are pretty rare,” Jaffe says. “In the Galaxy Note case, there were probably a couple hundred battery failures of one sort or another, but there were only a handful of fires — so that gives you a sense of the proportion of actual fires.”

Are You Really Taking Care of Your Laptop?

It takes more than being careful and travelling with a laptop case to keep your piece of personal technology running in tip-top shape. Along with the top 3 laptop computer maintenance tips that we recommend performing weekly, mobile professionals who wish to keep their laptops in pristine working condition should also be thinking more long term. This means dedicating a little time each month to some additional maintenance work. Monthly laptop maintenance ensures the smooth operation of your laptop and most importantly, keeps your personal data protected. The better you care for your laptop, the longer it will last, which not only saves you money but ensures that you will stay more productive with less downtime due to computer problems.

Keep your laptop in perfect working condition with these top five laptop maintenance guidelines.

1.Clean Your Hard Drive

Over the course of a month, it is easy for the mobile professional to accumulate a lot of unnecessary files on their laptop hard drive. Take the time once a month to go through your hard drive and examine the files there. As you look over those files, determine which should be saved elsewhere for future reference and which can be trashed. This is also a great opportunity to back up your files on an external drive (see step 4 for more details). Additionally, if you download programs on a regular basis to try new things or to have access to new programs for projects, properly ​uninstall those programs when they are no longer needed. A cleaner hard drive is a smoother running hard drive.

2.Defrag Your Hard Drive

To defrag your computer means to defragment, which is a process that rearranges fragmented data so that it is easier to read, allowing your computer to work more efficiently. Not surprisingly, defragging your hard drive is another maintenance task that ensures your laptop will run as efficiently as possible. There is no need to defrag more than once a month for your programs to run more quickly and make better use of the space on your hard drive. When you defrag your laptop hard drive regularly, you should notice fewer software crashes or freeze ups and programs will run better. Defragging can be as simple as using a defragmenter software. But note that if you have a solid-state drive (SSD) in your laptop, you do not need to defragment.

3.Keep Your Laptop Clean

This time we’re talking about keeping your laptop physically clean. Cleaning your laptop helps prevent overheating and those nasty dust bunnies from building up inside your laptop fans and exposed ports that can cause issues.  Cleaning the screen also means you’ll always view your data clearly, it’ll be much easier on the eyes. Keeping your case free of dust and dirt buildup will help your laptop by preventing that dirt from getting inside the laptop. If dust does make its way in, you can blast it free with a can of compressed air.

4.Full Back-Up

Full back-ups should be conducted on a monthly basis. There are a variety of software and hardware options available. You should choose the method that is easy and can be done without fuss. It may require trying different methods before you find the best backup system for your needs. Most importantly, you should have a secure, fire-proof location to store your back-up.

5.Software Updates

Just as you keep your anti-virus and firewall software up-to-date, you should also keep your all other software programs updated. For many programs, the updates address security issues which help keep your laptop and data protected while on the road. You can perform updates as they become available, but to avoid the disruption and use your time more efficiently, we suggest dedicating some time once a month to installing all new updates.

Laptops with the Longest Battery Life

No matter how stacked its specs are, a laptop is useless if it can’t hold a charge. Fortunately, there are plenty of notebooks that go the distance. Using our Laptop Mag Battery Test, which involves continuous Web surfing over Wi-Fi at 100 nits of brightness, we’ve identified the longest-lasting notebooks on the market. We’re talking more than 10 hours of endurance, which should more than suffice for that cross-country flight, a long day of meetings or multiple, back-to-back classes.

Lenovo ThinkPad T470 (17:25)

If you want a truly fantastic keyboard, durable chassis and strong performance, look no further than the ThinkPad T470. The T470 makes room for an optional extended battery that gives this 14-inch laptop over 17 hours of endurance (with its non-touch display). You can charge the laptop over a proprietary ThinkPad connector or via its Thunderbolt 3 port, which allows you to juice the laptop and output to multiple monitors over a single wire. A durable, MIL-SPEC-tested chassis helps this long-lasting business notebook stand up to the rigors of all-day business travel.

Lenovo ThinkPad X270 (13:51)

Weighing 3 pounds (3.4 with extended battery), the 12.5-inch ThinkPad X270 is light enough to carry anywhere and small enough to fit easily on most airplane tray tables. Its 12.5-inch display outputs a vibrant 88 percent of the sRGB color gamut while a snappy keyboard and accurate pointing stick make editing documents a pleasure. Unlike many Ultrabooks, the X270 has plenty of ports, including a USB Type-C connector, multiple USB 3.0 connectors, an SD card reader and an Ethernet connector.

With its extended battery on board, this powerful laptop lasts nearly 14 hours on a charge. If that’s not enough endurance for you, you can carry a spare battery and swap it in, without even turning off the computer.

Dell XPS 13 (13:49)

Our favorite laptop overall, the Dell XPS 13 uses a nearly-bezel-free Infinity display to pack a 13-inch panel into a chassis that might otherwise hold an 11-inch laptop. Despite its slim, 0.6-inch thick dimensions and 2.7-pound weight, Dell’s laptop offers nearly 14 hours of battery life with its standard, 1080p screen.  The touch version, which has a 3200 x 1800 display, lasts over 9 hours on a charge.

 

Add to that an Intel 7th Gen Core i3, i5 or i7 CPU, a speedy PCIe SSD and plenty of ports and you have the best consumer Ultrabook around. A Killer Wi-Fi card and Thunderbolt 3 charging round out this impressive package.

Dell Inspiron 11 3000 (13:39)

Starting at just $199, Dell’s lightweight laptop proves that you don’t have to spend a lot of money to get truly epic battery life. This Celeron-powered, 11.6-inch laptop offers just enough performance for web surfing and light productivity. At just 2.4 pounds, the Inspiron 11 3000 is light enough to carry anywhere and, with over 13 hours of endurance, you can leave the plug at home.

The Inspiron 11 3000 is also one of our top choices for kids, because of its small size, low-price and attractive blue and red color options. For better multitasking, we recommended spending $50 over the base price to get a configuration with 4GB of RAM.

Microsoft Surface Book (12:29)

When coupled with its keyboard dock, Microsoft’s detachable notebook will last up to 12.5 hours, provided you buy it with integrated graphics. A 13.5-inch, 3000 x 2000-pixel display is gorgeous to look at and a magnetically attached stylus makes writing a pleasure. Starting at $1,499, the Surface Book is an expensive system, but worth every penny.

Google Pixel 2 News: Release Date, UK Price, New Features & Specs

The Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL have officially been outed as the new Google phones for 2017. Here’s everything you need to know about the new features, specifications, UK price and launch date.

Google has unveiled its Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL smartphones. The new Google phones are available to pre-order immediately and will go onsale on 19 October and 15 November respectively.

Read our hands-on reviews of the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL for our first impressions.

When is the Google Pixel 2 release date?

The Pixel 2 is available to pre-order now (via Google or EE) and goes on sale on 19 October.

The Pixel 2 XL is also available to pre-order now (via Google or EE) and goes on sale on 15 November.

EE is the exclusive network partner at launch. It is now accepting preorders on the Pixel 2 in Just Black, Clearly White and Kinda Blue, and the Pixel 2 XL in Just Black or Black & White. Both come with either 64- or 128GB of storage.

Those who pre-order from Google or EE before 2 November for the Pixel 2, or 14 November for the Pixel 2 XL, will get a free Google Home Mini.

How much does the Google Pixel 2 cost in the UK?

The Pixel 2 costs £629 with 64GB of storage, and £729 with 128GB. The Google Pixel 2 XL costs £799 with 64GB storage, and £899 for 128GB.

If you’re buying it on an EE contract in the UK the Pixel 2 is £9.99 on a £47.99/month 4GEE Max plan, which offers unlimited minutes and texts, and 8GB data.

The same plan costs £57.99 per month for the Google Pixel 2 XL.

Google Pixel 2 features and specifications

Highlights in the gorgeous new Google phones are their vibrant OLED screens with always-on displays, with the larger Pixel 2 XL offering an 18:9 FullVision display. These screens are said to be twice the resolution and offer 10 times the contrast ratio of phones that use a standard LCD.

There’s also a squeezable active edge – on both models – that instantly calls up the Google Assistant for quick access to all your phone’s most commonly used features, and an improved camera that has the highest ever recorded score for a smartphone camera by DXOMark.

It can achieve the same things as a dual-camera but with a single lens, and the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL are the first phones to build in Google Lens.

Google made a point of the fact you’ll get the same features in either phone, with nothing reserved for the larger, more expensive model. That means you’ll get the same hardware too.

The key difference between the two is the 5in full-HD (1920×1080) 16:9 screen on the Pixel 2, and the 6in Quad-HD (538ppi) 18:9 display on the Pixel 2 XL. They offer a wide colour gamut, and have been optimised for VR – both Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL are Daydream-ready.

A new feature is the always-on display, seen previously in flagship phones from Google and LG. Google’s version, like those, offers an at-a-glance readout of the time and date, reminders and whether you have any emails or notifications. But they also include a Shazam-style feature that can recognise any song you’re listening to – without sending your data to Google’s servers – and when you tap on this the Google Assistant will pop up and offer to find it on a music-streaming service or the web.

They share the same premium design – now waterproof, with an IP67 rating – with an all aluminium body that has a refined glass visor that transitions seamlessly into the metal body. The fingerprint scanner is said to be the fastest you’ll find in any smartphone, and falls naturally under the finger on the back. Google has also added a splash of colour on the power button.

The new Google phones do away with the traditional 3.5mm headphone jack, but you do get a USB-C adaptor in the box. Or you can use a pair of wireless headphones (Google has also announced a version of its own that build in the Google Assistant) or use the stereo speakers.

The primary camera is a 12.2Mp f/1.8 model with 1.4um pixels and OIS. While the original Pixel scored 89 in DXOMark, this new camera acheives 98 – the highest ever recorded in a smartphone camera.

Although it’s a single-lens camera, Google’s Dual Pixel sensor is able to generate a true depth map that enables the phone to create bokeh-effect (blurred background) photos just as a dual-camera might. This portrait mode works on the 8Mp selfie camera too.

Other new features include AR stickers, with Star Wars versions reportedly coming soon, and Google Lens. We first heard about the latter back at Google I/O. It’s a smart feature that works a bit like Bixby Vision, giving you more information on whatever you’re looking at. It can read email addresses, phone numbers and more.

In video the Pixel 2 supports both OIS and EIS, thanks to new ‘fuse video stabilisation’, and Pixel 2 owners will be pleased to learn Google is extending its offer of free Google Photos storage of all their full-resolution photos and video.

In terms of core hardware you get a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, 4GB of RAM and either 64- or 128GB of storage. There’s also Bluetooth 5.0 and the latest wireless connectivity.

A fast-charging battery (2700mAh in the Pixel 2 and 3520mAh in the Pixel 2 XL) can last all day, but offers up to 7 hours of use from a 15-minute charge.

Despite the larger screen and bigger battery, Pixel 2 XL is only slightly wider and taller than the Pixel 2. It measures 3x6x0.3in, while the Pixel 2 is 2.7×5.7×0.3in.

The software is obviously Android 8.0 Oreo, and the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL will be the first to get any OS updates. Google has moved the Google bar to the bottom of the home screen where it finds it a better fit. You can also squeeze the edge of the handset to bring up the Google Assistant.

WIRELESS CHARGING – HOW DOES IT WORK?

Certain smartphones these days offer the useful function of wireless charging. For some people, this feature is essential, others think it’s pointless. One question remains unanswered though: how is it possible to transfer energy without a cable?

Fast charging and electromagnetic induction

To fully understand how wireless charging works, you need to understand the concept of an electromagnetic field and, more generally, electromagnetic induction, which you may already be familiar with if you have an induction cooker in your kitchen. What is the link between an induction cooker and a smartphone, you ask? Electromagnetic induction is an energy transfer system, meaning that it can be stored (as in the case of the smartphone) or used.

So how does this energy get transferred? Well it’s a question of forces. Imagine two people holding opposite ends of a rope: if one person decides to make waves with the rope, the other person will receive the waves as they travel down the rope. This is a very generalized way of explaining electromagnetic induction: a force sends energy from one point to another. The base unit (powered by electricity) transmits energy to the smartphone via electromagnetic fields. The sensors on the smartphone recover the energy and channel it to the battery for storage.

How is the charging speed calculated?

Again, it’s all about the forces. As the energy is transmitted through electromagnetic fields, the speed depends on these fields. The bigger they are, the faster it will be. The problem is the fields are pretty small because the smartphone (because of the material (metal etc.) it’s made from) leads to limitations.

Your smartphone therefore has a limited transfer speed for which the manufacturer specifies the voltage. The charger also emits energy at a regulated speed, as shown below.

What’s Qi?

Qi is the most popular wireless charging technology. It is not restricted to a particular manufacturer, in theory all manufacturers can use it on their devices. Samsung and Apple are probably the most well-known brands that use it. Qi seeks to standardize wireless charging technology, which involves several safety rules that must be respected. These rules include power of the devices, which obviously plays a role in the charging speed.

Thanks to Qi, wireless charging technology has made considerable progress. Charging speed has increased considerably, and electricity no longer causes the unit to heat up significantly. Qi does not only use electromagnetic induction charging technology but also magnetic resonance technology.

Is my device compatible with induction charging?

Perhaps you’ve given it some thought and you want to give up on cable charging and opt for wireless charging instead. A question arises: is your device compatible with this technology? If you have a high-end Samsung smartphones, from the Galaxy S or Note series, then your device is probably compatible and Samsung has its own charger. The new iPhone 8 is also compatible with wireless charging, though if you have a less recent iPhone you can also use wireless charging but you’ll have to buy a receiver such as the QInside Qi2001 first. Some Lumia, Motorola, Xperia and HTC smartphones are also compatible with Qi technology, as well as several Nexus phones (Nexus 4, Nexus 5, Nexus 6, Nexus 7, Galaxy Nexus).

High Quality VGP-AC19V56 Adapter for Sony Vaio VPCL2 24inch PCG-21612T All In One PC Series 19.5V 9.2A 180W

Does the iPhone 8 have a battery problem?

It hasn’t even been two weeks after the release of the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus and new owners are reporting to be what looks like a serious battery malfunction.

Two reports claim that the iPhone 8 Plus, which was made available to the public on 22 September, began to split at the sides when charging.

According to Taiwanese media, a woman purchased a £799 64GB rose gold iPhone 8 Plus and had used it for five days before it had unexpectedly cracked open. Ms. Wu was charging her device with an Apple-issued charger; however, after approximately three minutes charging, the front panel swelled up and completely lifted from the device.

The phone was allegedly collected by the carrier and shipped to Apple, who according to the The Independent was investigating the two reports. Apple declined to comment further on the incident.

Another Japanese consumer reported having received his iPhone 8 Plus in a similar state, as it arrived in delivery with a partially detached screen.

If you’ve already purchased an iPhone 8 Plus or are interested in purchasing one, don’t feel the need to rethink your decision. The reports of faulty devices are mixed across Taiwanese and Chinese media. It’s likely that the two malfunctions are unique to their owners particular devices and not indicative of a trend for the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus.

The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus also had reports of exploding devices, yet millions of units were sold, functioning without issue – well, an exploding battery issue.

There are, however, ways to avoid and prevent failures, explosions or fires of any electronic device you may own, such as using the correct charger and avoiding direct sunlight, among others.

How to clean your PC

How to clean your keyboard

PC keyboards are relatively easy to clean. Disconnect yours and turn it upside down over a bin or a surface that’s easy to wipe clean. Give it a few taps and be prepared for biscuit crumbs, eye lashes and other undesirable things to fall out.

As with the PC base unit, use a damp cloth to wipe dust and dirt off. Anti-bacterial sprays shouldn’t damage plastic keys, but always test on a small area first. Don’t drench the keyboard with liquid or you risk destroying it. Instead, spray the cleaner onto your cloth – not directly onto the keyboard.

Laptop keyboards aren’t quite as simple to clean as PC versions. First, turn the computer off, and remove the battery if possible. With the screen fully open, turn the laptop upside down and gently tap the dust and dirt into a bin or onto a surface.

If there’s a problem with an individual key, perhaps because a large crumb is under it, you might be able to carefully prise off the key with your fingernail. Most laptop keys simply clip on, but never force a key or you risk breaking the clips or scissor mechanism.

How to clean your computer mouse

Gone are the days of the ball-mouse – all use an optical sensor of some description now. Dust and dirt can easily build up over the sensor and cause tracking problems, so use a damp cloth to clean the entire bottom surface of your mouse.

The top is where you’ll leave grease and germs, so it’s wise to use an anti-bacterial spray. As before, check on an inconspicuous area first and spray onto the cloth, not the mouse.

If you don’t want to risk any damage to your PC, keyboard or mouse, use a cleaner designed for electronic equipment.

How to clean your screen

You can use Muc-off, or simply a damp cloth, to clean most PC screens (and TVs too), whether they have a matt or glossy finish. You can spray directly on to a screen, but don’t let drops run down into the casing at the bottom.

A micro-fibre cloth is ideal for cleaning a screen as it helps to avoid streaks and is effective at removing dust and fingerprints. Use a damp micro-fibre cloth if marks are hard to shift, but be careful not to press hard on a PC screen as you can easily damage the LCD panel.

The rest of the monitor can be cleaned the same way as a PC tower or mouse, using an anti-bacterial spray if you prefer. As ever, don’t spray any liquids directly onto the casing, as it could damage the electronics inside.

How to clean a smartphone or tablet

Touchscreens tend to be the most frequently cleaned component, since an accumulation of fingerprints obscures the image and feels nasty. However, it’s crucial to use the correct cleaning products in order to avoid damaging your delicate electronics.

Most touchscreens these days have an oleophobic coating – literally ‘oil fear’ – which allows them to repel fingerprints. Such coatings aren’t amazingly successful, but they are easily damaged by harsh cleaning agents such as ammonia, alcohol and other solvents.

For this reason, all you need to remove grease and dirt from your screen is a micro-fibre cloth. You can pick these up in a supermarket or online for next to nothing. Micro-fibre cloths are better than other material because the tiny, split fibres lift the dirt and retain it, as well as absorbing liquid. This means they don’t leave lint on your screen, or simply spread the dirt around. You can dampen a micro-fibre cloth with water if the screen is particularly dirty.

When cleaning, use a circular motion rather than linear to a give an even finish and avoid the risk of long scratches if a large piece of dirt gets caught up in the cloth. You’ll find that a micro-fibre cloth will also effectively clean the rest of your device, including metal and plastic parts.

For ports and connectors, use a dry brush – a small paint brush is ideal – to gently remove dirt. Don’t use a can of compressed air, as the force is likely to damage the delicate components.

If grime is stuck in the speaker or microphone grilles, it can be tricky to remove. You could try using your vacuum cleaner, but use caution. Another technique is to use a pin to clear individual holes in the grille.