Question: My OnePlus phone keeps getting ad pop-ups, even when it’s just in normal standby. It’s really annoying. I’m not sure whether it’s got a virus. Is there anything I can do? – Mark E, Artane, Dublin
Answer
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There are a few things you can consider. The most basic one is to turn off pop-ups on your phone in your browser’s settings. If you’re using a OnePlus phone, I’ll assume you’re using Google Chrome as your main web browser. If so, open the app and tap the three vertical dots in the top right hand of the screen. Now tap ‘settings’ and then tap ‘site settings’. About half way down the menu list you’ll see ‘pop-ups and redirects’. Tap this and make sure it’s switched to ‘off’. This should stop most pop-ups happening when you’re browsing.
But if you say that it’s happening even when you’re not browsing the web, it could be something a little more persistent, even a piece of malware. In this case, you could consider downloading an ad blocker (there are lots in the Google Play store), which usually does a good job of preventing any ads, of whatever ilk, from popping up on your phone.
If that doesn’t work, you have two other options. The first is to try an anti-malware program on your phone (again, there are loads available in the Google Play store, ranging from free ones to paid ones: I’m not going to recommend a specific one as they mostly do the same thing). The second is the nuclear option of performing a ‘factory reset’. This essentially wipes everything on your phone and sends it back to the way it was when you bought it. But even if you use this option, be careful about backing up files – you may actually back up whatever is infecting your phone in that process. The only really safe way to do this is to do it cleanly. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t back any files up. If it was me, I’d upload the photos (and videos) I want to keep to Google Photos – it’s free, practically unlimited and you can access the photos from any device. Then I’d make sure I had my contacts saved, synchronised to my Google account also. I’ve written about how to do this before (check independent.ie) but essentially, your Google account can be selected as a backup source for your phone numbers on your iPhone or Android phone (it’s located in ‘settings’). Similarly, you can transfer or copy your numbers from a Sim card into your Google account.
Don’t worry about content in your other accounts like WhatsApp or Facebook – that all lives in ‘the cloud’. So as soon as you reload those apps after the factory reset, the content will all be there.
Question
My question is about the Google Maps app. I have an iPhone 6S. In the past, instructions were relayed, telling me to ‘turn left’ or ‘turn right’, or to ‘continue on for two kilometres’ and the like. This is now ‘turn south east’ and similar directional guidance. Is there anyway I can get it back to the way it was in the past?
– Marian Fitzgerald via email
Answer
This is an American affectation that Google uses. It comes from the way that American towns and cities are laid out, often in a grid system. When you’re trying to find a place in Chicago or any big US city, an American will often say something like: “Go north three blocks, then east two blocks”. Google has taken this to heart. So you’ll sometimes hear a direction like “head southeast on R101 then continue on the N11 for 11 kilometres”. However, it hasn’t replaced the other way of offering directions. So if you’re using Google Maps when driving, for example, you’ll frequently hear “turn left now” or “turn right in 200 metres”.
As for your distaste for the compass directions, I’m afraid there is no way to switch it off. Google Maps isn’t customisable in that way. Also, your phone model has nothing to do with it. Google Maps works in mostly the same way across all modern smartphones.
Question
It’s my son’s 13th birthday next month and I’m finally giving in to his non-stop campaign for a smartphone. I don’t want to spend much money on one. Are there any decent ones that are affordable?
Answer
By “affordable”, I’m going to assume you mean something around or under €350. The best here is probably Samsung’s new Galaxy A50 (€360). For what you’re paying, it’s superb. If you’re looking for something ultra-budget, I’d go for either Motorola’s G7 (€200) or Nokia’s 4.2 (€200). If you want to go for an iPhone, you’ll have to settle for a smaller, refurbished model such as the iPhone SE or refurbished iPhone 6S.
Recommendation: Samsung Galaxy A50 (€360 from electronics retailers)
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Tech Two
Canon G7x Mark III
€849 from camera shops
Your phone may be able to take most of your photos these days, but Canon’s latest compact G7X Mark III is still worth a look for any prospective ‘vloggers’. As well as great photo and video quality, its screen flips up so you can record yourself – and there’s now a microphone port for an external mic.
Jabra Elite 85H
€299 from electronics stores
The noise-cancelling headphone market has been a two-horse race between Sony and Bose for the last three years. But Jabra’s new Elite 85H cans may change that. The headphones are comfortable, have great audio and do an excellent job of blocking outside din thanks to active noise-cancelling technology.
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