Millennials More Likely To Fall For Tech Scams

Millennials, often portrayed as tech-savvy caricatures, are actually more likely to fall for technology related scams through calls, emails or popup ads as compared to their grandparents, a new survey has found. The survey of about 1,000 adults from 12 countries conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs, a technological survey-based research group, and Microsoft asked the participants about their experience with tech support scams. The survey found that on a global scale just 20% of respondents took the scams seriously and only 9% lost money to them. Interestingly, the survey found that younger users were actually much more likely to fall for scams than their older counterparts. As many as 27% of the 18-24 years olds fell for a scam, with 13% of them losing money. A staggering 32% (nearly one third) of the 25-34 year olds fell for a scam and 18% of them lost money, the survey found. Among the participants who were over 66 years old, there was not much deception. While they encountered technology scams at roughly the same rated as their younger counterparts, they heard out scammers only 11% of the time and gave into them only 3% of the time.

Phone Batteries Emit Toxic Gases, Can Affect Skin, Nasal Passages And Eyes

More than 100 potentially fatal gases are produced by the batteries found in billions of consumers devices such as smartphones and tablets. The research identified over 100 toxic gases released by lithium batteries, including carbon monoxide, which can cause strong irritations to the skin, eyes and nasals passages and harm the wider environment. Researchers from the Institute of NBC Defence in the US and Tsinghua University in China said many people may e unaware of the dangers of overheating, damaging or using a disputable charger for their rechargeable devices. In the new study, they investigated a type of rechargeable battery, known as a “lithium-ion” battery, which is placed in two billion consumer devices every year. Nowadays, lithium-ion batteries are being actively promoted by many governments all over the world as a viable energy solution to power everything from electric vehicles to mobile devices. The lithium ion battery is used by millions of families, so it is imperative that the general public understand the risks behind this energy source. Researchers identified several factors that can cause an increase in the concentration of the toxic gases emitted. A fully charged battery will release more toxic gases than a battery release more toxic gases than a battery with 50% charge, for example. The chemicals contained in the batteries and their capacity to release charge also affected the concentrations and types of toxic gases released. Identifying the gases produced and the reasons for their emission gives manufacturers a better understanding of how to reduce toxic emissions and protect the wider public, as lithium ion batteries are used in a wide range of environments. Such dangerous substances, in particular carbon monoxide, have the potential to cause serious harm within a short period of time if they leak inside a small, sealed environment, such as the interior of a car or an airplane compartment. Almost 20,000 lithium ion batteries were heated to the point of combustion in the study, causing most devices to explode and all to emit a range of toxic gases. Batteries can be exposed to such temperature extremes in the real world, for example, if the battery overheats or is damaged in some way.