7 Ways to Keep your [DEVICE] Energy Up
One of the hardest things to do is maintain your energy level throughout the day. Yes, your personal energy is important but not the topic of this blog post. I am referring to the thing that keeps us geeks standing around near power outlets. I had liberated myself from this for a few years with the purchase of an image saving, share-able portable battery called a Mophie. Then I lent the Mophie to a friend who was running a marathon and wanted something that would last the entirety of the race. The Mophie came through like a champ. After a couple more times lending the Mophie and enjoying the meals that my marathoner friend (did I mention he is an #AWESOME chef?) “repaid” me with, guilt took over and my Mophie found a new permanent home. Also I delved into the realm of Microsoft Surface and its proprietary connector/charger, but found that planning and charging the night before gave more than ample energy for a full day, I just wish the Windows 8 Evernote app was as good as the Android one. My Mophie had become a final fallback option because of the Surface and external batteries but I am still getting another… However here are a couple things I recommend in ADDITION to a Mophie.
- Get a spare OEM battery. Seriously get an OEM not a knockoff. It makes a HUGE difference. Get 2. Or 3. Not 4. Get them on Amazon. The price for OEMs ratio to the likelihood
Get these if your phone can use them
they’re fake is better there than Ebay. You are going to need another battery at some point. GET IT NOW.
- Get an external battery charger for your specific battery. This isn’t a Mophie, that is an external battery… this is a battery charger that will charge your battery outside the phone. You can charge all the extra batteries up the night before a big event (with enough planning between your phone charger and the external 3 is about the most you can mange and the reason not to get 4) You can also leave a depleted battery charging at the outlet without having to be tethered along side it.
- Ok, I know, you have an iPhone. Neither of those options work for you. If you have a GSM SIM card … Get a burner (prepaid) phone on your carrier’s network. Whether or not you have an iPhone it can be really useful to have another phone in case yours dies or is crushed, soaked, etc. For about $60 you can have a spare phone. You can also use the spare phone without the SIM for Wifi access. This will also more likely be an Android or Windows (really not a bad option) so you can go back to 1 & 2 and do the battery thing now.
- Use your laptop. Many now don’t even need to be “on” as they have a USB charging port that is colored yellow. If you are carrying around your computer, put it to use. No yellow USB? Turn your laptop on, then put it to sleep (usually just shutting the lid works) and you should be able to freeload your phone. I found this was a GREAT way to use my Surface!
- Manage your device. If you need to eek out every last drop you can turn down the brightness, turn off the radio, WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth, turn off synchronization. Check any apps that may be running without it being obvious. A quick good way to get a baseline of no apps running is turn off your phone, then be very selective on what you turn back on. Be especially wary of apps that constantly are assessing where you are or what you are doing, like maps, as they are constantly active and that means wasting power.
- Go for a ride. “A ride… now that’s a good idea! Let’s Go!” Unless the late great Dennis Hopper is suggesting it, a ride might be just the trick. And depending on your car (my Explorer for example) will power the DC 12v even with the key out of the ignition. This can make a good charging “locker”, just keep your gadgets out of view or your locker may turn into some unscrupulous person’s vending machine. There are also true charging lockers in many places now, especially conferences and airports. This isn’t a great option over plugging into a wall though as you are forced to be either tethered to your phone or leave it behind. At least in your car you have a comfy seat and a bit of quiet or radio.
- My last suggestion is the one I recommend in addition to any and all of the above suggestions. This is to get an external universal battery. A BIG ONE. 4000 mAh is probably the smallest I would suggest.
I got an 800 mAh Enercell from Radio Shack. The only nice part is it is small and needs no cables, but it would only charge to about 25% and then it would start sucking the power back out of the phone. Yikes! I still have it and keep it for desperate situations, but it is not worth the money. I loved my Mophie. I am going to get another Mophie. I had no issues with it and used it often. It is sized in a way that is convenient.
Here is the final reason to get a big external battery. They are a great investment! You become one of the most useful people in the world to someone that needs a charge to their device. Talk about instant rapport and standing! Think about how long you can maintain a conversation with someone if they are using your charger? Or, you can leave it with a person (why you should always use more than one of my suggestions above) and have a reason to be in contact later as a follow up.
And hey you could land yourself several awesome thank you meals!
Oh and if you want to go all MacGuyver on this… http://www.instructables.com/id/Lost-Your-Charger-How-to-Charge-any-Battery-Survi/?ALLSTEPS
This is an awesome way to adapt a universal power supply when you don’t have (or they don’t make) a specific tip… http://www.instructables.com/id/Hacking-your-iGo-Universal-Power-Adapter/?ALLSTEPS
