Power Saving Tips by Citiliner

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.