Also Keep Other Battery Operated Devices Powered Up
I have
dozens upon dozens of battery-operated hand-held electronic devices —
iPods, iPhones, remote controls, Bluetooth headsets, portable speakers,
cameras, camcorders and more.
And I absolutely hate running out of juice when I’m using any of them especially on my Macbook Pro notebook. So over the years, I’ve developed several useful techniques and discovered several useful products to help me keep my gadgets going, because after all, this is how I make my living.
If you use the device in a car, consider a car charger. I like the Griffin Power Jolt ($19.95; because it’s inexpensive and has a USB port so the same device is able to recharge my iPods, iPhones, Bluetooth headsets, external batteries for my iPhone and more.
I mentioned external iPhone batteries because, as most iPhone 3G users know, the internal iPhone battery doesn’t provide enough juice to make it through an entire day. So an external battery, like those from RichardSolo ($49.95–$69.95); or Mophie ($99.95; ), can let you make it through a whole day without recharging your iPhone.
My current favorite is the RichardSolo 1800 ($69.95), which includes a car charger with two USB ports, an AC charger, retractable USB cable, plus a built in LED flashlight and laser pointer.
Speaking of iPhones, don’t forget that you can improve its battery life by turning off services such as Location Services, Bluetooth, and 3G (Settings, General), and Wi-Fi (Settings, Wi-Fi) when you aren’t using them. And turning down the screen brightness (Settings, Brightness) can help as well.
Moving right along, let’s talk about notebook computers. Many people don’t realize that you can buy a spare battery for your PowerBook, MacBook or MacBook Pro from Apple or a third-party vendor.
I
always buy at least one spare battery. And, since using the computer to
charge two batteries can be a little inconvenient, there’s always the
handy Battery Charger/Conditioner ($149); which can condition and recharge most PowerBook, MacBook or MacBook Pro batteries two at a time. I have one of these devices and it has saved my data numerous times and allowed me to finish my project.