Latest news with #LukeOsborne
The Irish Sun
a day ago
- General
- The Irish Sun
I tried the WORST summer fan ever – three reasons why everyone should avoid tempting bargain
EVERYONE is digging out the fans and their best cooling hacks as the weather heats up again. There are so many fan options and air conditioning units to choose from, but they don't come cheap. Advertisement 2 This fan device isn't worth your time Credit: Jamie Harris / The Sun 2 The water does not come out as some calming mist at all Credit: Jamie Harris / The Sun So when I spotted a bargain fan with a twist I thought I might be onto a winner. I'd also seen a load of these types of devices all over TikTok, with people saying how good they are. The product in question is a handheld water mist spray fan. What a great idea! A cool water mist blowing straight to my face on a hot summer's day, I believed. Advertisement More on the hot weather And at £8, I really thought I couldn't go wrong. Alas, I was very mistaken. This device is not the cooling solution I had hoped for one bit. Firstly, the mist was not very misty at all. Advertisement Most read in Tech It was more like the spray bottle I use for watering my plants, leaving my face pretty drenched - just the thing I was trying to avoid. Secondly, the fan is really quite weak - I've had far better handheld fans over the years. Met Eireann confirm 22C heat to blast this weekend as spots with 'best chance of sunshine' pinpointed And finally, at this size it's not very portable either. So, it's back to the traditional fans I go. Advertisement Maybe this particular model I bought was no good but I'm not convinced by the concept at all now and would urge others to avoid and try something else. DANGEROUS VIRAL FAN HACKS TO AVOID There are a number of cooling hacks going around on social media that experts say aren't safe at all. One of the most popular heatwave hacks online is the "DIY air conditioning unit". The hack sees users attach frozen bottles of water to the back of their fan in a bid to circulate cooler air around their room. "This mindless 'hack' is not only dangerous but ineffective too," explained Luke Osborne, technical director at . " The frozen bottles of water will inevitably melt, creating condensation on the outside of the bottle. " This will create water droplets that risk coming into contact with the motor of the fan , increasing your risk of electric shock. " You're also adding weight to your fan that it's not designed to handle, which may put unnecessary stress on your fans motor and risk damaging your device. " Whilst you may find you get a few seconds of relief, this hack is pointless in that it won't supply enough cold air to reduce the temperature across a room. " Similarly , other content creators have put freezing towels over the top of their electric fan which is also dangerous. Image credit: Getty
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Yahoo
Counterfeiters adding metal weights to fake Apple power adapters
Counterfeiters are adding metal weights to fake Apple power adapters to dupe consumers into thinking they are handling a genuine high-quality product, an investigation by the company and a UK charity has found. Apple selected 56 UK and 60 EU power adapters it identified as counterfeit and marked with Apple's trademarks or lookalikes, those not marked with the trademarks but which copied the design of a genuine charger. Of these, 22 samples underwent further internal investigation, with the charity Electrical Safety First finding 68% of them had metal weights inside. It warned the metal weights presented a risk of short circuiting the device, increasing the risk of electric shock and fire. Within a genuine power adapter there is sufficient separation between internal components to ensure that the incoming 240 volts from the mains electricity supply does not come into contact with the USB output connector, the end used to charge your device. Counterfeiters insert metal to compensate for the missing weight that would usually be made up of high-quality components typically found in a genuine adapter. The investigation found these metal weights compromised the electrical separation, meaning the consumer was at risk of coming into contact with a 'very harmful' level of voltage. "Criminal counterfeiters are doing everything they can to trick shoppers into thinking they've bagged a bargain, developing their tactics to avoid suspicion," Luke Osborne, deputy technical director at Electrical Safety First, said. "Some of these new tactics are increasing the risk of electric shock and fire to the buyer including adding in metal weights to give the impression the adapter feels like a legitimate product. Criminals are working harder than ever to deceive consumers, with no regard for their safety in the process." A separate test was undertaken to determine the strength of the plug pins on the adapters, with 71% failing. Many of the plug pins snapped completely or became distorted during the test, which the charity warned could result in the pin becoming lodged in a socket outlet and exposing the user to an electric shock. Osborne said: 'If you're looking to bag an electronic bargain it has never been more important to stick to a reputable retailer or manufacturer in order to shield yourself and your loved ones from fakes that could risk your safety.'
The Independent
28-02-2025
- The Independent
Counterfeiters adding metal weights to fake Apple power adapters to dupe consumers
Counterfeiters are adding metal weights to fake Apple power adapters to dupe consumers into thinking they are handling a genuine high-quality product, an investigation by the company and a UK charity has found. Apple selected 56 UK and 60 EU power adapters it identified as counterfeit and marked with Apple's trademarks or lookalikes, those not marked with the trademarks but which copied the design of a genuine charger. Of these, 22 samples underwent further internal investigation, with the charity Electrical Safety First finding 68% of them had metal weights inside. It warned the metal weights presented a risk of short circuiting the device, increasing the risk of electric shock and fire. Within a genuine power adapter there is sufficient separation between internal components to ensure that the incoming 240 volts from the mains electricity supply does not come into contact with the USB output connector, the end used to charge your device. Counterfeiters insert metal to compensate for the missing weight that would usually be made up of high-quality components typically found in a genuine adapter. The investigation found these metal weights compromised the electrical separation, meaning the consumer was at risk of coming into contact with a 'very harmful' level of voltage. Luke Osborne, deputy technical director at Electrical Safety First, said: 'Criminal counterfeiters are doing everything they can to trick shoppers into thinking they've bagged a bargain, developing their tactics to avoid suspicion. 'Some of these new tactics are increasing the risk of electric shock and fire to the buyer including adding in metal weights to give the impression the adapter feels like a legitimate product. 'Criminals are working harder than ever to deceive consumers, with no regard for their safety in the process.' A separate test was undertaken to determine the strength of the plug pins on the adapters, with 71% failing. Many of the plug pins snapped completely or became distorted during the test, which the charity warned could result in the pin becoming lodged in a socket outlet and exposing the user to an electric shock. Mr Osborne said: 'If you're looking to bag an electronic bargain it has never been more important to stick to a reputable retailer or manufacturer in order to shield yourself and your loved ones from fakes that could risk your safety.'
