Are You A Business Owner? Here Are Some Useful Tips

Starting a business, maintaining it and later on expanding it is a lot of work – it’s definitely something everyone can try, but not a lot can master. But thankfully, nowadays there are so many resources and helpful tips to use to your advantage, which can help grow your business overnight! Here are some of those useful tips every businessman should keep in mind! 

Have a good plan

When getting involved with business owning, you need to understand how big of an investment that actually is – and not just financially. There are other elements, such as time and energy that are easily exploited, so having a plan of action is a must. Even at the beginning entry stages, try to set aside a budget, whilst keeping an exit strategy in mind!

Be passionate

Some people start a business out of wanting to be their own boss, while others start their businesses in hopes of getting rich. Both paths are valid and they strive for the same purpose which is making it in the midst of similar businesses. It’s extremely important to be passionate, even when things are not looking so good – it’s said that people work much harder for the things they are passionate about. Being passionate can also boost the productivity of other workers as well, especially when things get tough!

Social media is key

Using social media to your advantage is such a good hack nowadays – the accent is always on the incredible algorithm systems that can do a great marketing job! This goes hand in hand with getting to know your customers, that way you’ll know what kind of marketing methods to use in order to reach similar customers. Social media is also great for exploring different formats and using new methods of marketing, as trends come and go, this is also a good way to practice and see what suits your business the most! At the end of the day it all comes down to the customers and what they truly want! 

 

Grab some inspiration

As a business owner, it can get a bit overwhelming, no matter how big or how small the scale of the business is, the pressure is on! This, mixed with the fact that the market is overflowing with all sorts and kinds of companies and aspiring businesses, it’s important to stand out as a business and outshine the competition. A good tip with this is to get familiar with the competition – don’t necessarily copy their stuff, but rather understand how they operate, what works for them might also apply for your business as well! Always striving to learn new things is a much needed skill in every business owner!

Keep things simple

Behind every great company, stands a simple concept – every businessman should start with building a strong foundation and working towards their goals. These so-called simple things can completely transform the business in no time. Having a customer-friendly website is extremely important from an easy and clean layout to a clear payment system, as Cardknox Merchant Portal suggests, they just make things better for the customer and the business at the same time. Sticking to proven methods is way better, especially in the beginning, rather than experimenting – so try to keep things simple, yet strong! 

 

Set short term and long term goals

Having regular checkups and re-evaluations of your work is essential in order to understand how well the business is going, or on the other hand how bad. Setting short-term goals as well as long-term goals is the best way to monitor progress and compare the accumulated data from time to time. That way you can determine the blind spots that might be stopping the failure of your business! This, along with a strong strategy will definitely contribute to the success of your business!

Be up to date

Trends are coming and going every hour of every day, sometimes it’s hard to even keep up with them! But being up to date with trends and the latest happenings in the world is much needed in order to run a well functioning, successful business! Thankfully, the resources are endless, with many books, blogs, and other business owners sharing news, possible business plans, and other useful info you can grab onto! Running a business is a process that’s constantly evolving and growing so it’s hard to follow just one way of doing things and isolate your business. 

 

Not every business is the same, certain kinds of businesses need a specific kind of treatment, but the goal is always the same – to grow and expand. There are many ways to do so, focusing on establishing short-term and long-term goals, seeing where your business is stagnant and what you can do to fix it is key in achieving success!

Tech Review – Realme 8i

The Realme 8i is as budget phone offering a 6.6 inch 120 hz refresh rate screen which seems to be all the hype today however once you have tried this refresh rate for yourself you will find it hard to look back, I myself had had to demonstrate here to people what it actually means and putting a 60 hz refresh rate beside the 120 hz device people then seen what it means the same applies for 90 hz devices but some still find it hard to notice and it might take time for others to get the whole idea of what it is all about.

This device also sports a huge battery too a 5000 mAh which for most will see an all day battery life which today still seems an issue for most manufacturers but to be fair power users like me spend most of my day doing my work from my mobile phone.

Unboxing and walkthrough of the Realme 8i

 

Design and build

The phone does however look premium being made with plastic and the back of the phone looks really cool and changes colour when it moves in the light and it stands out, the camera hump also on the rear is much smaller than any of its rivals and not a huge chunk popping out which has got really annoying now with the same design over and over again but this time it is a much smaller affair and looks well, the phone does look well and feel solid in the hand overall.

Performance

The Realme 8i was fine for me and my daily tasks which include multitasking and the same would apply to anyone else given I am a power user my phones get much more used and abused you could say but overall this did not fail at all for me and was good to see at this level, I did some gaming on the phone just to test it and high rated games is where it did get sluggish at times but it is not a phone that is intended for gaming anyway but for the most it is fine.

Processor

The device is equipped with realme’s first G96 chip. It’s manufactured using a 12 nm process and has two large A75 cores and 6 small A55 cores. Its main frequency reaches up to 2.05GHz. It’s really a powerful processor. Compared to realme 7i, the performance of 8i has improved 65%. The GPU has been improved by 91%, and the CPU by 51%. 

This G96 is also a processor that realme and MediaTek jointly oversaw and launched. For this processor, realme assigned 7 senior engineers to guide the whole process. Over the course of 106 days, they had technically optimized 3 major performance features. Firstly, Helio G96 is the only G9 series chip that can power 120Hz displays. Secondly, it supports realme’s first screen whose brightness can reach as low as 1 nit. Lastly, its gaming performance that completely surpasses that of realme 7i, providing a smoother gaming experience.

Realme launched the technology –Vitual RAM, upgraded from computers to smartphones. Virtual RAM actually uses the phone’s internal storage as makeshift RAM and increases the total amount of RAM on your smartphone. For realme 8i,realme launces 5GB Virtual RAM on 6GB+128GB version and this can improve the phone’s overall smoothness. ( realme 8i 4GB+64GB does not support Virtual RAM.)

 

Camera

50MP Primary Camera

realme 8i’s main camera features 50MP sensor. With f/1.8  large aperture, and 5P lens that secures enough light and makes your pictures more clear and brighter. In addition, the product also supports PDAF that makes the focus more rapid and precise.  You can judge yourself from the video and image samples we took below both in the day and night time.

 

B&W Lens

The B&W lens provide special artistic effect for portrait, which reproduce portraits in black and white, providing higher exposure and enhancing the contrast between light and dark of images. In the Portrait mode, exposure, color temperature, hue, and other parameters are repeatedly fine adjusted. In conjunction with the simulation of master portrait works, photos are tuned to retro film style with wide applicability, adding texture to the final portrait-style photos.

Macro Lens

The ultra macro lens enables users get closer and discover the beauty of the micro world with the 4cm shooting distance. It will empower consumers with the possible to shot amazing macro photography with details, enjoy explore the charm of the micro world.

16MP Selfie Camera

On the front, 16MP selfie camera can take crystal clear selfie. The camera also supports AI beautification function, HDR mode, portrait mode and a Panoselfie feature that can help you take wider selfies. Overall giving you the best camera experience in the segment.

Key features, Helio G96 Processor, 120Hz Ultra Smooth Display , Up to 5GB Virtual RAM 5000mAh Mega Battery

50MP AI Triple Camera 18W Fast Charge Ultra-Fast Side Fingerprint 16MP Selfie Camera 3-Card Slots realme UI 2.0

Conclusion

This is my first Realme device so can’t compare it to its other models but for me it did quite well overall if you want good battery life and a good display it has all this and more, the cameras are fine in the daytime but in low light levels not the best but this is to be expected anyway and even more expensive devices fail miserably here, it is a good looking device that is capable.

 

 

Tech Review – Poetic Guardian and Revolution cases for the Google Pixel 6

Next in for review is the Guardian and Revolution cases from poetic cases for the Google Pixel 6 which is my daily driver the last few weeks and so far liking the device, my full review on that is due shortly too so stay tuned for that but today we check out two cool cases for the Google Pixel 6 which will need protection and save you a fortune if you drop the phone not only that the device is slippy and these cases both give you extra grip and the ease knowing if you drop the phone your phone will be safe and sound.

Guardian – 2021 Google Pixel 6 Case

  • MILITARY GRADE DROP TESTED GOOGLE PIXEL 6 RUGGED CASE -Protects your Google PIXEL 6 from all angles. Includes: Built-in Screen Protector, Clear polycarbonate back, and TPU lining and Bumpers.
  • SAFE SCREEN PROTECTION – Extra raised lips and corners of the front hard frame provide super protection from drops, keep your screen safe.
  • SHOCK ABSORBING – Impact resistant TPU lining around the polycarbonate case provides shock absorbing bumper protection for the corners and enhances grip to prevent sliding.
  • ANTI-SCRATCH CLEAR BACK – Premium clear polycarbonate prevents scratches on the device. The full clarity and gloss showcases the best that your device has to offer.
  • EXTRA Front Frame – For people who don’t like to use built in screen protectors, Poetic has included an extra front frame to use with your own tempered glass.

BUY 

Revolution – 2021 Google Pixel 6 Case

  • MILITARY GRADE DROP TESTED GOOGLE Pixel 6 RUGGED CASE – Protects your Google Pixel 6 from all angles. Shockproof/Drop-proof/Import resistant/Scratch-proof.
  • SAFE SCREEN PROTECTION – Extra raised lips and corners of the front hard frame provide super protection from drops, keep your screen safe.
  • HEAVY DUTY MATERIAL – Composed of premium polycarbonate and shock absorbing TPU bumper for drop protection.
  • BUILT-IN-SCREEN PROTECTOR – Front polycarbonate casing with a built-in screen protector adds a layer of protection without affecting screen responsiveness.
  • EXTRA Front Frame – For people who don’t like to use built in screen protectors, Poetic has included an extra front frame to use with your own tempered glass.

BUY 

Check the video below of both cases in detail and tell us what cases you are rocking on your Google Pixel 6..

Video Link 

The Most In-Demand Knock-Off Tech Brands Revealed

With scores of shoppers on the hunt for the best bargains this Black Friday, a new consumer study, conducted by Uswitch, has analysed Google search data to reveal which fake brands are most in demand.

The research shows counterfeit Rolex, Yeezy and Louis Vuitton are the top three most searched for designer fashion labels. Fake Beats takes the top spot for the most wanted tech brand, and in the world of beauty, Olaplex is the most in-demand brand that people want fake versions of the most.

The Most In-Demand Fake Tech

Black Friday is when many people try to get the latest tech releases at a discounted price, so Uswitch also looked into the number of searches for the most sought after counterfeit tech brands.

Beats by Dr Dre – considered to produce the ‘best headphones on the market’ – is the most searched for tech brand with 8,400 annual searches for ‘fake beats’.

Xbox is joint third on the list, with a total of 6,000 searches for a cheaper, unverified version of the iconic games console. Also with 6,000 annual searches for fake versions of its products is Apple. Xbox’s rival, Playstation is sixth on the list, receiving 3,600 searches for a knock-off version.

Top 10 Most Searched For Fake Tech Brands

Rank

Branded Bag

Annual Searches

1

Beats

8,400

3

Xbox

6,000

3

Apple

6,000

6

Playstation

3,600

6

Fitbit

3,600

6

JBL

3,600

7

Samsung

3,000

8

Dyson

1,200

9

Nintendo

1,080

10

Wii

840

When it comes to the most in-demand tech products, ‘fake iPhone is searched for almost 2,000 times a year, which is the highest of all tech products in the study. Ring’s doorbell is second on the list and Dyson’s innovative Airwrap is third.

The top 5 most searched for fake tech products:

Rank

Product 

Annual searches

1

iPhone

1,800

2

Ring doorbell

720

3

Dyson Airwrap

600

4

Xbox series s

480

5

Google pixel

480

For the full research, and for advice and tips on how to spot scam sites and how to tell the difference between fake and real products this Black Friday, visit: www.uswitch.com/broadband/most-in-demand-designer-knock-offs

JOBY Bum Bags – Custom-made for today’s vloggers and influencers and New Funky GorillaFeet!

JOBY Bum Bags – Custom-made for today’s vloggers and influencers Get your creative career started with a Bum Bag that’s designed to take your JOBY kit on the move. Designed with feedback from our customers for a tailor-made 3-in-1 carrying solution. Roomy design works with JOBY GorillaPod TelePod or HandyPod .Convertible design that adapts to your needs Enhance your JOBY collection with a JOBY Bum Bag.

This clever 3-in-1 combination of a sling bag and convertible pouch/backpack is just the thing content creators need to carry their equipment. For content creators venturing into the world of online vlogging, a bag that holds all their essential JOBY equipment and still lets them keep their hands free is a must. We worked closely with our users and listened to exactly what they wanted from a Bum Bag. The design we came up with was inspired by real-life users, which is why it’s practical, adaptable, and stylish.

Two new GorillaPod kits bring a world of customizing possibilities to the iconic JOBY GorillaPod range. Interchangeable feet can be swapped for different colours or designs. Fun and functional custom feet for the GorillaPod range. Adaptable designs allow users to use the Grip It, Wrap It, Stand It features Funky feet or trendy trainers? Quazy quacky duck’s feet or practical suction cups? The GorillaPod Custom Kit is now available, letting vloggers and content creators have a little fun while still getting outstanding results from our legendary GorillaPod.

Best New Mobile Phones for Gaming

The gaming industry is witnessing a revolution of ideas every season. There was a time when you could only play games on a PC, or you were lucky if you had a laptop. Nowadays, you can game on consoles like Nintendo switch and the PSP console. Also, the iGaming industry introduced mobile and handheld device gaming with tablets leading as the best gaming device. The reason is that tablet screen size enables you to maintain the same gaming experience as a PC. 

Nonetheless, the iGaming industry has not relented in giving the best of game output. Now, it seems there is a focus on mobile gaming. Today, approximately 6.378 billion people use smartphones; a figure amounting to 80.69% of the world population. Hence, games on mobile devices are continually enhanced to give the best gaming experience. As a result, you can now play games online with your smartphones on any mobile casinos you can trust. The smartphone manufacturing companies are also trying to produce games specially built for gaming purposes.

Top Specially Built Phones for Gaming and Their Specifications

Although all smartphones, whether Android or iPhone, can play games, not all phones are built for gaming. There are phones built with unique capacities and specifications solely to enhance your gaming experience. If you are looking for a phone specially built for gaming, you may consider one below.

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra

Samsung did not build this device primarily for gaming. However, it possesses qualities and abilities that make it suitable for gaming purposes. Samsung released the phone in January 2021, and it comes with a considerable cost of $1069. As such, many may not be able to afford it.

It has a dimension of 165.1 x 75.6 x 8.9mm, a screen size of 6.8 inches, and a dimension of 1440 X 3200. The CPU features; Exynos 2100 / Snapdragon 888. It has a RAM size of 12/16GB and storage space of 128GB/256GB/512GB and does not support MicroSD slots. The battery capacity is 5000 mAh and which encourages a long-lasting gaming time.

iPhone 13 Pro Max

iPhone 13 Pro Max is the latest release of the Apple company as it was released in September 2021. Apple did not specifically build the phone for games, but it possesses the attribute of a gaming phone. Just like the Samsung counterpart, the phone is sold for a high price of $1080. Therefore, buying this phone can be a step toward a good gaming experience and enjoying other specifications.

iPhone 13 Pro Max has 160.8mm x 78.1mm x 7.7mm, a screen size of 6.7 inches, and a resolution of 1284 x 2778. The phone features A15 Bionic CPU. The RAM size is 6GB, while the storage sizes are 128GB/256GB/512GB/1TB. It has a battery capacity of 4352 mAh, which is reputed to be the best battery capacity for an iPhone.

Asus ROG Phone 5

The Asus ROG Phone 5 is built explicitly for gaming purposes. It is an Android OS device with unique specifications to enhance the gaming experience. The screen possesses a fantastic refresh rate of 144Hz, which you may not find in any other phone. It is sold for an average price of $700.

Asus ROG Phone 5 has a dimension of 172.8 x 77.3 x 10.3mm, a screen size of 6.78 inches, and a resolution of 1080 x 2448. It features an Android 11 OS and a Snapdragon 888 CPU. The RAM size is 8/12/16GBS, while the internal storage can be 128/256GB. It has a great battery capacity of 6000 mAh which can ensure a long time of game playing.

Lenovo Legion Phone Duel

Lenovo Legion Phone Duel is the first gaming phone of the Lenovo brand. It has the capacity needed to engage in gaming both online and offline without hiccups. It also has an additional feature of 90W supercharging. The limitation of the phone is the camera which necessarily may not affect the game playing.

The phone has a dimension of 169.2 x 78.6 x 9.9mm, a screen size of 6.55 inches, and a 1080 x 2340. It features a Snapdragon 865+ CPU and an Android 10 operating system. The RAM size is 12/16GB, while it has an internal storage of 256/512GB. The phone has a battery capacity of 5000 mAh which no doubt encourages a longer game time.

Nubia Red Magic 5G

The Nubia Red Magic 5G is another phone specifically built for gaming purposes. The phone was released in March 2020. It was the first phone to integrate the 144Hz screen refresh. It integrates game space features that allow you to customize your experience while playing. 

The phone has a dimension of 168.6 x 78 x 9.8mm, a screen size of 6.65 inches, and a resolution of 1080 x 2340. It features Android 10 OS and a Snapdragon 865 CPU. The RAM is 8/12GB, while the internal storage can be 128/256GB.  It has a battery capacity of 4,500mah which is considerably supportive of game playing.

Europe’s First Test Vertiport Being Developed in Paris by Skyports

Skyports, the world-leading designer, developer, and operator of vertiports (landing sites for eVTOL aircraft) is developing Europe’s first test vertiport in France, as a significant step towards launching commercial Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) services in time for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The programme is part of the Re.Invent Air Mobility initiative led by French airport operator Groupe ADP, global mobility company RATP Group and Choose Paris Region, a French agency for business and innovation.

This is the first development of its kind in Europe and is being supported by DGAC, the French Civil Aviation Authority and EASA, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency.

The vertiport will be designed, built, and operated by Skyports at Groupe ADP’s Cergy-Pontoise Airfield in Paris, initially serving as a technology testbed to provide a safe and realistic environment for Skyports and members of the initiative to integrate and test the critical technologies required to enable AAM in Europe.

The integration of a vertiport within an existing airport site is challenging and complex. Skyports’ expertise in ground infrastructure and Groupe ADP’s remit in infrastructure planning, provision and permitting are an ideal partnership to implement the solution that will successfully address this challenge.

Augustin de Romanet, Aéroports de Paris SA – Groupe ADP Chairman and CEO said: “Our Pontoise airfield brings together a unique ecosystem around new air mobility and the trial platform we are launching today is unprecedented in Europe. It will function as a concrete experiment to explore the field of possibilities of a decarbonised and innovative aviation, and to develop the low altitude aviation market (below 300 metres), which has been largely unexplored until now. In Pontoise, we will test all the components of Urban Air Mobility. Groupe ADP will fully play its role as an aggregator of activities to facilitate the surge of new uses that reconcile a smaller environmental footprint, innovation and common utility.”

The test vertiport will be equipped with a suite of technologies including biometric identity management, re-charging equipment, situational awareness capabilities and weather stations. The data collected during the testing phase will be essential for the development of AAM regulatory frameworks.

 

Ankit Dass, Chief Technology Officer at Skyports said: “Technology will play a critical role in ensuring the safety and operational efficiency of vertiports. The integration of technology is at the core of our vertiport design, development and operation. At Skyports we are developing our systems in collaboration with vehicle manufacturers, operators and leading aviation tech companies.”  

The operational testbed will be used by leading eVTOL vehicle manufacturers such as Volocopter, Vertical Aerospace, Airbus, Pipistrel, eHang and others to conduct test flights and demonstrations over the next three years in the run-up to the 2024 Olympics.

The Skyports vertiport will be constructed using modular technology so that it can easily be relocated to a new location at the end of the programme, serving as the first commercial vertiport in France.

Tesco Ireland supported by OLIO App in its quest to further redistribute surplus food in Dublin

Tesco Ireland has partnered with food sharing app OLIO to help reduce food waste in stores in Dublin by redistributing more of its perfectly edible surplus at the end of each day amongst members of the local community.

The pilot programme involves nine Dublin stores, with 250 volunteers already signed up to OLIO in Ireland.

A global initiative, the OLIO scheme works with over 35,000 volunteer ‘Food Waste Heroes’, who visit stores to collect surplus food nearing its best before or use-by date and redistribute it to the local community. Tesco is the first major Irish grocery retailer to join the movement.

The new partnership builds on Tesco’s existing surplus food donations programme, powered by FoodCloud. OLIO will operate where food related charitable organisations are unable to collect.

Tackling food waste has been a major part of Tesco’s sustainability strategy since 2009, when it made a commitment to stop sending food waste to landfill. To date, the equivalent of over 14 million meals in surplus food has been donated to almost 400 charitable organisations and community groups from Tesco stores and distribution centres, in Ireland.

The existing in-store food surplus programme will continue to benefit FoodCloud causes. However, in some areas, there are limited charitable organisations to take food surplus. This new partnership, where OLIO Food Waste Heroes will come to the rescue and collect surplus food, will help to further reduce the amount of food going to waste. The partnership comes a month from Christmas, when causes and communities groups are even more in need of support through surplus food.

Tesco Communications Director, Rosemary Garth said: “We are very proud of our pioneering food waste strategy, leading the way since 2014 when we became the first retailer to partner nationally with FoodCloud to roll out an innovative surplus donations programme which now helps hundreds of community groups every week.

“We are acutely aware that food waste is a major contributing factor to climate change, and in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goal 12.3, we are committed to tackling food waste from farm to fork by 2030.

“We want to make sure that all surplus food is being managed, that it shouldn’t go to waste and where people who need it have access to it. I am confident that our partnership with the OLIO movement will help us further achieve our goal of making sure that no good food goes to waste at Tesco.”

OLIO Co-founder, Tessa Clarke said: Our partnership with Tesco means that more people than ever before will be able to benefit from access to surplus food, and we are happy to expand our programme into Ireland.

“They will also be joining our community of neighbours who not only support one another, but also believe that every little bit helps in the fight against food waste.”

With two weeks of the trial underway, the work with OLIO and its Food Waste Heroes has resulted in an average 46% increase in suitable edible surplus food being redistributed in the Dublin area.

Tesco Ireland, through its partnership with FoodCloud, works with almost 400 charity partners and has donated over 14.5 million meals to people in need since 2014, saving 19.5 million kilograms of carbon emissions from being produced through the transport and processing of this food as waste.

OLIO recruit local teams of Food Waste Heroes, who are then trained on safe collection, storage & distribution of surplus food. The Food Waste Hero collects surplus food from their local Tesco stores at a scheduled time. The food is brought to the Food Waste Heroes’ home, where it is offered to the local community via the OLIO app.

Stores involved in the OLIO trial are: Aungier St, College Green, Leonard’s Corner, Parnell St, Pearse St, Temple Bar, Thomas St, Dorset St, and Jervis St. 

Why Do Mobile Apps Need So Many Permissions?

There are many ways to spend your time doing nothing. But some things that constantly distract us from doing nothing. It’s either preparing for the next exam, doing some late-night homework, or writing some essay or research paper. All that while trying to have some sleep. 

Most likely, you wanted to take a trip or go to some party, but that seems to be possible only during the next spring or summer break. In the meanwhile, you need to focus on easier ways to relax.Yet, you can win some time with ‘do my  homework online’ services and free yourself from the paperwork.

Now, think about how to relax your mind. The best thing is to install a gaming or dating app. Maybe, you will match with someone. Maybe, you will have a new interesting game to play.

But, while installing it and giving the application all the required permissions, a question pop-ups. Why do mobile apps need so many permissions? This question bugs a lot of smartphone users and makes others indulge in conspiracy theories. 

So, to make it easier, let’s talk about why apps need those permissions. But before that, to avoid any hint of paranoia, let’s identify what permissions can be considered dangerous.

Types of Permission You Should Beware Of 

 

  1. Read External Storage – when the app is asking for this permission, you can get alerted. And you should think about why the application needs access to your external storage. If your app has to do something with cleaning up your smartphone, then it’s quite a logical request. 
  2. Modify or Delete External Storage – another point to get alerted and ask the question of why the app requires access to your external storage. And, again, most likely, it will be requested by the app that has something to do with cleaning up or managing your data. 

 

If the application is from a reputable developer, you can trust and grant permission. However, if you don’t want to grant access to your SD card, you can simply deny it. If you did provide the app with permission, the only thing to worry about is messing up with the settings (i.e., permitting to delete something you didn’t want to) or the case when the app is hacked. 

 

Generally, different messaging, navigation, and lifestyle apps are asking for too many permissions. But here are several aspects that you should be extremely cautious about:

 

  • unnecessary permissions – a flashlight app doesn’t need access to your storage data;
  • unknown developers – you are always at risk when downloading apps from unknown companies;
  • free apps – a free app can collect your data to sell it to third parties or spam you with numerous ads. 

 

There are a few things you need to keep in mind, though. Not all unknown developers are bad. And not all the free apps are mining your data. Try searching for some extra information on them. Make it a useful habit to do your research on the apps before downloading and installing them. Now, let’s talk about what permissions apps may need and why. 

Calendar

Some applications may need access to your calendar. It is wise to use them if they are work-related, and you would like to have all the appointments in your calendar. At the same time, games that don’t have live tournaments will unlikely require access to your calendar. 

Camera

If the application has something to do with making or sending videos and pictures, like Messenger, it may need access to the camera. But if the app doesn’t have any functions linked to the camera, the access to it is surely unjustified. You may be recorded on video without even noticing it. 

Contacts

Sometimes, granted access to your contact list is great. You may not have some of your old friends on social media, but an app can make them pop up on your friend suggestion list. Still, you must be extremely careful about it. By providing the app with your contact list, you not only give your information away but may cause a threat to your acquaintances. 

Location

There are several reasons why the app may require access to your location. Sometimes, it is easier for your friends to find you via sharing your location if you get lost. Knowing your location, dating apps can show your prospective partners that are nearby. But it may also lead thieves to your house. So, always tick the “only when using the app” option. 

Microphone

Sometimes, it is faster and easier to record a voice message rather than type it. That’s why messaging apps may require permission to access your microphone. But here, you need to trust only reputable developers. Apps from the unknown ones can record your private conversations and give them to hackers. 

Body Sensors

Various fitness trackers may require access to your body censors, such as information on your heart rate or steps counts. And it is okay to grant permissions to apps like that. But keep in mind that any other application asking for such permission should raise red flags at once. 

Phone

Apps like Facebook Messenger that use Voice Over IP connection may require access to your phone number and network information. However, it may lead to applications making phone calls without your consent if something goes wrong, for instance, if the app gets hacked. 

Conclusion

Digitalization has made a lot of things easier, but you need to remember that the online world is no safer than its offline counterpart. You are risking your data whenever you are going online. The worst thing you can do is give access to your private information without thinking about the necessity of such an action and its consequences. Yet, being more cautious about granting apps permissions and doing the research on their developers may keep you safer.