Tag: EXPIRE-IMAGES2009-2-10

Don't search for a signal in bad reception areas In areas with little to no service, your phone will constantly search for a better signal, which drains power. Shut off the phone in these areas if you know you won't need to call anyone and try to wait until you're sure you're in a high-signal location. If you absolutely need to use the phone in these areas, purchase a repeater or a signal ...

Clean your battery contacts Over time, your battery connection to your cellphone can become corroded. This can then lead to sub-par battery performance. If you notice your battery contacts -- those gold-colored metallic points on the bottom -- have become discolored or have accumulated dirt, then grab a cotton swab and some alcohol and wipe both the contacts themselves and the battery ...

Watch exposure to extreme temperatures Your battery can be damaged or have its life diminished if stored in extremely hot or cold temperatures. Don't leave your phone in direct sunlight or a car on a hot day, and you should even consider not carrying it in your pocket on warmer days. If you're not using the battery for an extended time, leaving it in your fridge helps although you want to ...

  Charge your battery properly Depending on the type of battery you have -- the common lithium ion or the rarer, older nickel-based -- you have to make sure you charge it correctly or else it can drain more quickly or display the remaining power inaccurately. A good rule is to let the battery fully discharge when you first get the phone and do so occasionally after for nickel batteries. For ...

Download your e-mails manually Setting your phone to automatically check for mail every 20 minutes -- which requires a power-sucking Wi-Fi or mobile data connection -- will run down your battery in no time. Instead, set your phone to let you check your e-mail manually. << Back Next >> ...

Turn down screen brightness Much like your laptop, most of the battery power of your phone is sucked up by the LCD screen (or, in many cases, screens). As with the power saving settings on a laptop that dim the screen's brightness, cell phone screens can be dimmed to save power, which makes them a lot easier to see in bright sunlight anyway. Check in your phone's settings area to find screen ...

Avoid flash photography Hey, we know it's a hard thing to do when the paparazzi are always following you around, but seriously, the little flashes on your camera phones can be surprisingly powerful -- and energy-draining. And along with flash photography comes a huge drain on your precious battery life. Try to avoid taking tons of flash photos in a row, since this uses up more energy, or ...

Turn off vibrate The motor that runs the vibrate function is a huge battery drain, especially if you're constantly getting calls. Although vibrate is a great function for silently alerting you to calls, it's not worth missing calls because you vibrated away your battery. Switch to a nice ringtone, or even a song. And then make your own vibrations to your new ring. << Back Next ...

Avoid playing games, watching video or scrolling through pictures If you know it could be a while before your next charge, then you might have to skimp on entertainment. Yes, we know you need a 'Bejeweled' fix or need to edit down some quick snapshots from last night's party, but both will cost you precious power. << Back Next >> ...