Navigating the world of online dating can be tricky and it’s important not to lose sight of the potential dangers and scams that you may encounter whilst engaging with other potential matches. That’s why security expert Nathan Daniels from VPNOverview.com has outlined 7 steps you can take to protect yourself when dating online to ensure you don’t have a negative experience.

Turn off location tracking

Many dating apps require that you turn on location tracking. This means you have to allow these apps to view your location. Dating apps use this information to get you into contact with people who are close to you geographically.

Of course, this is a very useful feature. Nevertheless, it’s understandable you might not want to share your exact location with a dating app, or with any service for that matter.

It is strongly recommended to turn off geo-tracking once you’re no longer actively using your dating app. That way, at the very least, you prevent the app from tracking you constantly.

Request a video chat (before your first date)

Another great safe online dating tip is to filter out fake dating profiles by requesting a video call. In fact, it can be a regular call as well, although video chatting is definitely better. Most people with fake profiles will be very reluctant to have a call, especially if a video is involved.

Obviously, it’s much easier for scammers to deceive their victims through text messages and sending someone else’s pictures. If they were to agree to a call, they would most likely just be discovered as fraudsters. As such, if someone refuses to have a (video) call, you might just be dealing with a fake profile.

Of course, you might be dealing with someone who is serious about meeting up at some point. In that case, a video call or a regular call is very useful as well. It will help you to gauge the other user’s intentions and character a little bit. This could help you avoid some dangerous scenarios.

Don’t connect your dating profiles to other social media or platforms

It might be tempting, for convenience reasons, to just log in on a dating app with your Facebook account or your main Google account. However, it is strongly recommend to not do this, as it’s a potential privacy hazard. Just think about it – you’re connecting a profile that’s intended for friends and family to a platform where you’ll be contacting tons of people you don’t know. Instead try using another way to log in, that can’t be traced back to you. One method, for instance, would be to create a Google account with random information that doesn’t contain any of your personal data.

Choose pictures you don’t use elsewhere

By using a reverse image search, someone can easily use your dating profile pictures against you. They can simply use this Google tool to find other pages where the images appear. This way, they’ll easily find out your personal information, even if you didn’t include it on your dating profile.

As such, it is recommended to only use pictures on your dating profile that you’re not using anywhere else. This also means it’s a bad idea to allow Tinder or other dating apps to simply pull pictures from Facebook or other social media accounts.

Report suspicious activity and inappropriate behaviour

Many dating apps have ways to report profiles and/or inappropriate behaviour. This comes in handy when you come across a (potentially) fake profile or behaviour that makes you uncomfortable. By reporting the profile involved, you will make your own and others’ dating experiences safer.

After you report an account, the respective dating app will generally launch an investigation. If someone’s profile is found to be fake or they are found guilty of inappropriate behaviour, their account will be deleted.

Types of suspicious or inappropriate activity you might encounter on dating apps include the following:

• Fake profiles. Always be wary if you see a profile that’s unverified, offers little information, or seems too good to be true.
• Money demands. If someone asks you for money, there’s a good chance they’re a catfish.
• Requests for explicit pictures. The person requesting these pictures might plan on sextorting you.
• Inappropriate messages, such as messages containing threats or sexual intimidation.
• Unacceptable behaviour during a physical meeting exhibited by the people you meet.
• Messages where people try to sell you something or get you to do something unrelated to dating (spam).
• Rejection of video calls, even after chatting with someone for a long time. This might indicate you’re dealing with a fake account.

Many dating platforms also offer the possibility of blocking a specific user. This is a great option if someone is bothering you and you don’t want to have them contact you while you’re awaiting the results of the dating app’s investigation after reporting them.

Be wary of malicious files and pages

Some catfish operate by infecting their victims’ devices with malware. Rather than asking you for money, they might attempt to infect your system with a keylogger, in the hope. of getting their hands on your financial data.

That’s why it’s recommended to not download or click on any files that a new chat partner might send you. It’s best to wait until you know them a bit better and trust the,. The same goes for visiting links they send you – both can contain dangerous malware.

Apart from always being vigilant, we recommend getting a solid antivirus solution to protect yourself from malware.

Delete your account when you’re done dating

Have you finally met your soul mater? Or have you had your fill of casual dating fun? Either way, consider another valuable safe online dating tip, and make sure to delete your online dating account once you’re done dating.

Deleting your dating profile will erase (most of) your personal information on the dating platform in question. As a result, it will be much more difficult for others to abuse your personal information.

If you’ve never visited and experienced the beauty of Connemara, one, you’ve missed out and two, you need to asap. Now a skincare range designed to support and replenish the body and mind’s wellbeing is Hibernicis, (Pronounced HI BER NI KIS).

Hibernicis is inspired by the wild and untouched Connemara on the west coast of Ireland and uses natural resources, including seaweed, from the surrounding Atlantic coasts.

The Irish have utilised and benefitted from using such ingredients as seaweed to enhance health and well-being and such notions as seaweed baths are common place along the Wild Atlantic way of Connemara.

To celebrate Ireland’s cultural and linguistic heritage, Hibernicis (Latin: from Ireland) is also presented in ancient Ogham script and each product bears a Gaelic name.

Founder of the brand, Catherine Logue has more than 30 years’ global experience in the beauty industry. She brings years of gathered knowledge, product design and creativity to the birth of Hibernicis. Catherine started her cosmetics journey in Sydney, Australia and now splits her time between, Ireland, Australia and Hong Kong.

“I have always been particularly passionate about natural skincare and bodycare” says, Catherine.

“For me Ireland is an incredibly beautiful land with a fascinating and complex history and so I started the journey of developing a range which reflects how I feel about Ireland.”

Top of mind in the development of Hibernicis is product efficacy, sublime texture, pleasing skin-feel and in some instances unique application technique. At the heart, natural aromas are key and are individually blended for each product.

At the very base Hibernicis is driven by its search for the most efficacious, natural and naturally derived ingredients. The products are gentle, natural and good for all skin tones, types and gender. Particular attention is given to adding comfort for mature skin.

Seaweed extracts are a constant through all the products. This wonderous marine plant is known to be detoxifying, packed with vitamins K, B, A, and E, that help improve skin tone, texture and elasticity. Packed full of humectants, seaweed delivers antioxidants to fight free radical damage and is known to hydrate, heal and repair skin.

Hibernicis is committed to continue searching for the latest scientific solutions with the safest and most effective ingredients, predominately using natural and naturally derived ingredients. All Hibernicis products contain 95% or more natural or naturally derived ingredients.

Words by Zoe-Louise Thomlinson

(https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-looking-at-a-vintage-car-3056057/)

There have been many men’s style icons throughout history. Some are very expected choices, for example, Yves Saint-Laurent, Ryan Reynolds, or Frank Ocean. However, there have been certain men who have left their mark on menswear that comes from a very unconventional place. These men did not work in fashion or were uber-stylish pop stars, and often initially were not considered stylish at all. However, over time, they became massively influential and left their mark on the menswear game forever. Here are some of the best vintage male icons in history.

Gianni Agnelli

This industrialist and politician set himself apart from other menswear icons- politicians are not often considered fashion influencers! However, this international playboy wrote both policy and fashion trends. He promoted a quiet elegance that would influence male celebrities and the everyday man. He was known for wearing casual shoes with his suits, such as slippers or sneakers. He was also a pioneer of mix-and-match styling, mixing his business attire with his country attire, which was unheard of at the time. His unique style would influence men’s fashion trends for decades and still persist after his death in 2003.

Muhammad Ali

Muhammad Ali is mainly known for his glittering boxing career and activism throughout the 1960s and 70s. However, his influence on style is sometimes overlooked. Long before boxers were the height of fashion, he made it his mission to always look stylish. His signature style was the well-cut suit- to him, good tailoring was key. He was a pioneer of the suit and sunglasses look. His suits often had many subtle designs, such as pinstripes. He was also a big fan of stylish 70s knitwear.

David Bailey

David Bailey was one of the most prolific fashion photographers of the 60s. He is most remembered for this. However, his styles behind the camera were also influential on men’s fashion. His fashion photography was not the only influential thing about him. He was so stylish in his personal life that the models were often enamoured with him. The work that allied him so close with Vogue was a massive influence on his own beatnik style.

Jack Kerouac

This member of the beat generation did as much for men’s style as he did for the literary world. Some people say that his most famous piece ‘On The Road’ sold a ‘trillion Levi’s.’ He has been called the father of ‘blue-collar cool.’ The parts of his style that were influenced by the beat generation were stripes and a dark collar palette. However, he mixed his style with rugged, bohemian looks that were often worn by working-class men, such as jeans. His style epitomised a certain outlook of the young generation at the time, of the ‘wandering traveller.’ At the time it was considered anti-fashion- however, we might consider it the precursor to street style. His unique style influenced a whole generation of American teens and young people. Not what you’d expect from a writer!

George Best

Best was one of the most iconic and interesting football players in the world during the 60s. However, his famously playboy lifestyle awarded him another title- the king of fashion. He was even considered the ‘fifth Beatle.’ It is not well known that he opened a Boutique in his hometown of Manchester, which did very well. He said that the collection at the boutique was aimed at the ‘extrovert male’ with lots of bright colours, tweed jackets, and purple trousers. When he wasn’t on the pitch, he was influencing fashion.

Kurt Cobain

When grunge first exploded onto the music scene in the early 90s, grunge style experienced attack for being sloppy. However, it quickly became a counter-culture with thousands of 90s teens becoming early adopters of the grunge style. Kurt Cobain was not only the king of grunge in terms of Nirvana’s sound, but also in terms of grunge fashion. His iconic Christian Roth sunglasses, oversized jumpers and heavily distressed wide-leg jeans were copied by lots of young people on the scene. He also popularised painted nails on men, which was controversial at the time. He truly made his mark on the fashion scene.

Franz Beckenbauer

Otherwise known as the Kaiser, the captain of West Germany is probably more well-known for his football than his fashion. He is most well-known for his performance in the world cup tournaments in the 60s. However, he was much more influential on men’s style than people think. In the ’70s, he did a collaboration with Adidas to create a stylish full tracksuit. Since this, men’s tracksuits became a staple of men’s fashion. He inspired a whole style of garment that dominated men’s fashion for decades to come.

Marlene Dietrich

What is a woman doing on this list? Well, she was a true menswear style icon. Breaking societal taboos during the 1930s, the German-born Hollywood star was well known for her three-piece suits. She wore these in films and in her personal life. Her iconic suits shocked the papers and general society at the time. Her style started a fashion trend which brought top hats back into fashion for both men and women! A truly divisive figure that defied the Nazis during the Second World War, she was incredibly influential in her films, fashion, and personal life.

Bjorn Borg

Bjorn Borg was the first tennis player to attract attention because of his style. The press dubbed him a ‘rockstar in tennis clothes.’  His long hair and headbands triggered many people to copy his relaxed sporty style. His stylish sportswear, shell necklaces, and disco suits off the court attracted the attention of thousands of fans. The Swedish tennis player was almost as stylistically influential on the world as ABBA.

David Bowie

David Bowie is one of the most famous men’s style icons of all time. He was infamous for playing with the rules of fashion, incorporating both masculine and feminine pieces into his wardrobe. Loving glitter and sparkle, he also wore a lot of military wear. He loved combining epaulettes, trench coats and accessories such as an RAF watch strap with feminine elements like satin and sequins. His play with gendered clothing makes him one of the most influential and iconic vintage style icons of all time.

A Maths graduate who worked for the  Hong Kong Special Forces. Someone with a Physics degree and worked on a number of internet related business and a guy with a Degree in Mechanical Engineering, MBA in Finance, worked as MD of EMEA for a global risk management software company hardly sound like brains behind a fashion brand ?!?!

But it takes all sorts of talent to create a successful menswear business, particularly in the strange times we find ourselves and that is exactly what Ken Price, Ross and Steve French have done in creating and developing Blake Mill.

Blake Mill is a premium men’s fashion designer, based in Manchester, which makes completely unique and high-quality men’s dress shirts. Founded in 2018 by Steve French, Ross French and Ken Price, with a passion to make high quality dress shirts for people who want to express their individuality through clothes. Available exclusively online (with one or two exceptions), Blake Mill aims to help their customers stand out from the crowd. That may be as simple as sporting an interesting collar and cuff lining on a beautifully made white shirt. Or it may be as bold and brash as a neon impression of real brain waves rendered on the entire body of the shirt.

Taking inspiration from the world around us and bringing to life stories with bright, bold and beautiful prints, Blake Mill makes shirts to suit every personality. From Japanese flowers to the map of the world, you can dress the part from head to toe in a selection of wearable art that will transform the way you feel (just check out the Renaissance Genius Shirt and Artistic Fancy Shirt).

So while each shirt is truly original, the quality is always guaranteed.

“Each time a customer buys a Blake Mill shirt, they’re choosing the story they want to tell, the path they want to walk. It’s freedom of speech. Reserved only for those men who dare to dress differently.”

Sustainability and ethical practices are at the heart of the business too. Blake Mill ensures their products are ethically produced through safe production and near net zero non-recyclable material usage. 

Occasionally, the unthinkable happens: you get a little too confident watching YouTube videos in the bath, and the next thing you know, your phone is submerged in soapy water. Other times, you hear the sickening crack of your phone screen as you walk down the road, realising too late that your screen is cracked beyond recognition after falling right out of your pocket.

When one of these tragedies strikes, it can be tempting to reach for a packet of rice desperately or to frantically attempt a DIY repair. Thankfully, the tech experts at Likewize Repair are here to debunk the myths around at-home phone repair – from which techniques actually work, to what can happen if the wrong one is used.

1. Leaving a cracked phone screen is fine

Dropping your phone is, sadly, just a part of life. Unfortunately, it can sometimes lead to completely smashing your screen and, despite the fact it makes the phone difficult to use, some people just choose to leave it.

This can cause more damage to your phone, as it means that tiny particles are able to get into the body of it. Your screen is extremely important – it shields the more vulnerable, delicate mechanisms within.

As well as this, having a cracked screen is a big fire hazard. As dust builds up in the cracks, it causes the phone to overheat, making you susceptible to burns or even electric shocks. You could also end up cutting your fingers, as eventually, the glass will not be able to hold itself in place.

If your phone screen is severely damaged, take it to a repair shop as soon as possible. Failing that, invest in a screen protector.

2. You will be without a phone for a long period of time

Another common assumption when it comes to phone repair is that you will have to go without your device for days or even weeks.

This is, thankfully, very rarely the case. In most instances, you will be able to have your phone back on the same day as handing it in – assuming that it does not have to be sent off to a third-party company.

Even if your phone screen has been cracked, the device will only require longer than a few hours to repair if the impairment has reached the inside of the phone.

If the damage to the phone is particularly complicated, it may have to be sent to a specific repair centre. For example, if you have a very badly defaced iPhone, it could need to be sent to an iPhone repair centre for a number of days, in order for a specialist to evaluate it.

3. You can dry out your phone with alcohol

Isopropyl alcohol is commonly used (by experts) to revive phones that have been dropped into water. The alcohol forms hydrogen bonds with the water, getting into all the crevices of the inside of your phone and drawing it out.

Despite this, isopropyl alcohol can very easily over-dry the components of your phone which could, in turn, damage it even more. Using too much of this solution could also lead to corrosion of the battery, making the phone even hard to fix – or unfixable.

As well as this, lots of people assume that any alcohol can be used to fix a phone, which is not the case. This type of cleaning is always best left to the experts.

4. Getting your phone fixed is very expensive

Arguably the main reason people don’t bother to fix their phones is due to the expense. However, fixing your phone does not always have to break the bank – and this is where insurance comes into play.

While having phone insurance may not be at the top of your priority list, it will almost always protect you from having to live with a broken phone. Insurance shields you from damage that is not covered by the warranty of your phone company, and can be as cheap as £2.80 a month.

If the damage meets the criteria and is within the time period of the phone company’s warranty, you could even get your device fixed for free.

5. Fixing your phone will mean having to wipe your data

Many of us are guilty of not backing up our photographs and messages, meaning that our phone is the one place to hold such precious memories. Due to this, many people are reluctant to get their phones repaired professionally, as they are worried they will need to be totally reset.

However, this is only the case if the phone is completely broken and cannot be fixed – and even then, most mobile devices automatically upload pictures to the iCloud(if you have an Apple product), transferring them to your iPad or laptop.

Most of the time, your data will remain totally protected, as manufacturers understand how important it is to people.