The dreaded "Low Battery" cure
We
all know how it feels to be at the mercy of the battery life of our favorite
electronic devices. We panic at the sight of a flickering screen or ‘low
battery’ message, but we expect our devices to somehow stay awake just as long
as we do. But lately, because of how
much intense work our smartphones and laptops have to come with, battery power
seems to dwindle down.
The
thing with the gadgets we tend to take along with us on lengthy trips is that
the batteries seem to never last as long as we need them to, even if we don’t
use them all the time, the screen seems to go dead at the most inappropriate
moment. This can be avoided by following some simple and useful tips on how to
save power on your devices like iPods, smartphones, laptops and tablets.
1.
Switch off unnecessary connections -
Bluetooth, WiFi and 3G connections constantly search the surrounding area for
available connections if they aren’t currently connected to any. This constant
searching takes a whole lot more power than maintaining an active connection.
If you’re in an area or vehicle without access to WiFi or 3G networks, turn
that functionality on your device off, or if its available as a feature, turn
on ‘Airplane Mode’, which cuts all data and cellular connections to save
significant battery power.
2.
If you have multiple applications open
and running in the background, but you are only using one or two of them at a
time, close the unnecessary ones. Any process running, even in the background,
uses battery power to maintain itself. Small applications may seem
insignificant, but it all adds up, and could save you an hour or two on your
available time.
3.
Having a brightly lit background and
screen may be convenient when you have access to a power source, but on a long
trip, it may be necessary to compromise. Adjust your device’s brightness level
to a point where it is still comfortable to see what is happening on the
screen, but its not quite as bright as the sun. Usually, the mid-point of any
brightness setting is a good place to be to save power and still maintain a
clear screen.
4.
If you’re not planning on using a
device for more than an hour, turn it off completely instead of just switching
to standby. Sure, switching it back on takes some extra power, so switching it
on and off every hour is not worth it, so make sure you’re prepared to leave it
off for a significant period, or else the standby will continue to work away
your battery power, even without being used.
Citiliner offers semi-luxury bus trips
all over South Africa in stylish coaches, at some of the most affordable rates
on the market. To find out more about how to book a trip, or for route and
timetable information to any of Citiliner’s destinations, including Cape Town,
Johannesburg, Durban, East London, Maputo and many more, visit the website or contact the 24 hour customer
care line on 083 915 9000.
