Category: <span>Technology</span>

If you’re planning on getting a new smartphone or tablet this Christmas, or you’ll be giving one as a gift, you’ll want to make sure it lasts at least until the next time you upgrade – not as easy as it sounds, especially over the festive period when an excess of excitement, and no little excess wine, can make it that bit easier to drop your device. And there’s nothing quite like that moment of sheer panic and horror as your smartphone slips from your grasp and tumbles towards the floor.

Sometimes it bounces harmlessly, but other times will see a huge crack appear on the screen, so it’s always handy to consider ways in which you can minimise the risk of breakage. Here are some top tips…

The number of spam emails getting sent has hit a 12-year low, according to security firm Symantec, which said fewer than 50% of emails which it scanned during June were junk – the lowest percentage it had seen in over a decade.

Even so, many of us are still getting loads of emails we don’t want and, to the best of our knowledge, haven’t asked for!

So if you’re getting spam emails, how do you stop them? Read on…

Every time you interact online you’re adding to your digital footprint – that virtual record of what you did, who you did it with, and when you did it.

Whether you’re buying something from a web store, checking your bank balance, updating a social status, or even just typing a question into a search engine or leaving a comment on a blog (all comments welcome below), your digital footprint is affected.

What this means is anyone can track your digital footprint and make fairly accurate assumptions on your lifestyle – anyone who has the knowledge and the inclination, that is.

And although most of us won’t have a back-story worth bothering with, not to mention nothing to hide, it’s still a little disconcerting to think someone could tap into your lifestyle should they wish to.

It’s all but impossible to completely cover your online tracks, but if you want to give it a go, here are some of the steps you could take to try and disappear completely…