battery Archives – Brain Trust Technologies LLC

How to speed up mobile charging

April 11, 2018 admin Hardware 2018april11hardware_c, android, battery, fast charging, iphone, mobile charging

Is your phone’s battery still not full despite charging it for 2 hours straight? Although it might not be a big problem when you’re charging it at night, it’s a critical issue if you’re charging it during the day and you need it in a few minutes to make a lengthy business call. Here are four tips to speed up your phone’s charging.

#1. Optimize your phone accessories

One reason why your phone charges slowly is because of poor-quality accessories — such as cables, adapters, and weak sources of electricity.

Cables and adapters

Unless you were careful to take great care of your phone cable and adapter, they might be the reason why your phone is charging so slowly. If you think this could be the problem, we recommend that you change them immediately. After doing so, make sure to use and store your new cable and adapter properly to keep them in tip-top shape.

Charging Source

Did you know that your phone will charge faster if you connect it to a higher amperage charging source? Although mobile phones charge at only 5 volts, depending on the charger you use, you can get amperage from as low as 500mA (milliamps) to as high as 2,100mA. Therefore, it is recommended to forgo charging your mobile device through a computer port (uses 500mA or 900mA) and use a wall charger (ranges from 500-2,100mA) instead.

#2. Clean your phone’s charging port

Another reason why you may experience slower charging time is because of a corroded or obstructed port. If the problem is because of obstruction, get a flashlight, magnifying glass, toothpick, and small brush to completely remove any debris. However, you should be very careful when doing this because the port is very fragile.

We recommend you enlist a professional’s help to clean your port if you’re worried about damaging it or if the problem is due to corrosion.

#3. Background apps

When was the last time you sorted out your phone’s background apps? If you don’t remember, then it’s time to do it! Apps that are opened and left running in the background not only drain your phone’s battery, but also affect your phone’s charging speed. Select “Battery” in your phone’s Settings to find out which apps are using up your phone’s power, and delete them if necessary.

#4. Using your phone while charging

Do you browse the internet while your phone is charging? If yes, then you should stop doing it. Feature-rich apps like WhatsApp and Facebook have been listed as two of the top ten battery draining apps by AVG, which means you may be slowing down your phone’s charging speed when you use them while it charges.

Every successful business needs high-performance mobile phones, but this is only possible if their batteries are juiced. If you want more information about how to speed up charging your phone, contact our experts today.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

Extend laptop battery life with these tips

December 1, 2017 admin Hardware 2017december1hardware_c, battery, hardware, laptop

Finding a power socket is often the first thing you do when carrying a laptop to work in a cafe, a coworking space, or an airport, and not every time will you be lucky to find one available. You’ll be forced, then, to rely solely on your laptop battery — if it still has any juice left. Here are some tips to help your laptop battery last as long as it could.

Some truths about your laptop battery

Batteries in many devices nowadays are lithium-based — either lithium-ion or lithium-polymer — so users must take note of the following guidelines for their proper maintenance:

They can’t be overcharged, even though you leave your battery plugged in for a long period of time. When the battery hits 100%, it’ll stop charging.
Leaving your battery completely drained will damage it.
Batteries have limited lifespans. So no matter what you do, yours will age from the very first time you charge it. This is because as time passes, the ions will no longer be able to flow efficiently from the anode to the cathode, thereby reducing its capacity.

What else can degrade your battery

Besides its being naturally prone to deterioration, your battery can degrade due to higher-than-normal voltages, which happens when you keep your battery fully charged at all times. Even though a modern laptop battery cannot be overcharged, doing so will add a stress factor that’ll harm your battery.

Both extremely high temperatures (above 70°F) and low temperatures (between 32-41°F) can also reduce battery capacity and damage its components. The same goes for storing a battery for long periods of time, which can lead to the state of extreme discharge. Another factor is physical damage. Remember that batteries are made up of sensitive materials, and physical collision can damage them.

How to prolong your battery life

Now that you know some facts about your laptop battery, it’s time to learn how to delay its demise:

Never leave your battery completely drained.
Don’t expose your battery to extremely high or low temperatures.
If possible, charge your battery at a lower voltage.
If you need to use your laptop for a long period of time while plugged into a power source, it’s better to remove the battery. This is because a plugged-in laptop generates more heat which will damage your battery.
When you need to store your battery for a few weeks, you should recharge your battery to 40% and remove it from your laptop for storage.

These are just a few tips on extending the life of your hardware. There are many more ways you can maximize your hardware efficiency and extend its longevity. Call our experts today to find out more!

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

How to extend your laptop battery’s power

May 3, 2017 admin Hardware 2017april3hardware_c, battery, hardware, laptops, tips

Keeping your laptop plugged in all the time doesn’t solve your battery problems. It may keep your laptop fully charged for a day, but this practice may do more harm than good in the long run. Luckily, there are quick-and-easy fixes and long-term solutions to help save battery power on your laptop. Here’s a look at some of them.

Manage your laptop’s power settings

Computer manufacturers are aware that battery life is an important consideration for most users, which is why many Windows and Apple computers have settings that help reduce battery consumption. Windows laptops have a Power Plan setting that lets you choose either a standard setting or a customized power plan; Energy Saver under MacOS’ ‘System Preferences’ offers a setting that allows you to adjust display and sleep controls.

Adjust display and system settings

You can also make adjustments to your laptop’s display and system settings to reduce brightness, turn off screensaver, disable Bluetooth and Wi-Fi (when they’re not used), and trigger the system to hibernate instead of sleep. A “sleeping” laptop consumes a little energy, but a “hibernating” laptop consumes absolutely none.

Use a battery monitor and other maintenance tools

If you think your laptop battery drains unusually fast, access your system’s battery maintenance tool to check its status. If your laptop doesn’t have one, you can download an application that creates a battery health report. That report will include charge cycle count, which determines the number of charge cycles your laptop has; and battery life estimate, which states how much longer the battery will provide power based on its current settings.

Keep your laptop operating efficiently

One way to accomplish this is by managing your web browser usage. Having many tabs opened on your browser drains your battery’s power and reduces your productivity. If you really must have a handful of tabs opened, consider switching to power-saving browsers such as Windows Edge or Opera. When multitasking, close unused apps and programs — especially those that download files or play media, as they consume the most power. This not only helps reduce battery consumption, but also helps the user stay focused on the task at hand.

Handle your laptop with care

Laptops are delicate and require safe handling and a cool temperature. With the exception of a few models (e.g., Apple’s MacBook Air), many devices are designed with a cooling system that keeps its CPU, graphics processor, and other components from overheating; and not to mention, its battery from depleting fast.

For that reason, handling your laptop with great care ensures longer battery life and better overall performance. When using your laptop on-the-go, make sure you don’t block its vents from circulating air, which means you should never put it on a surface such as a bed or similar soft surface that could prevent its cooling fans from working. And while it may seem harmless — and appropriate — putting your laptop on your lap is actually unsafe.

For businesses with remote workers and/or bring your own device (BYOD) policies, a laptop that lasts all day allows employees to be more productive and saves your company from having to spend on new laptops or replace batteries as a result of neglect. For cost-effective strategies on business technology, call us today.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.