You seasoned techies are no doubt thinking, "Another article on how to get more life from your laptop battery. Big deal. I already know how to do that." Well, Mr. or Ms. Techie, I scoff at your hubris. There's still plenty to learn when it comes to getting more juice from a charge and extending your battery's overall life.
So, yes, there are tips that most of us know:
Dim your screen.
Minimize background processes.
Don't use the CD/DVD drive.
Disable your wireless antenna when not in use.
But there's still a lot you may not know about laptop battery technology and the things that both help and hinder your laptop's juicebox.
Getting More Minutes per Charge
You can fiddle with background processes and other software settings all you want, but your hardware is the biggest factor in laptop battery life, according to PC Mag's lead analyst for laptops, Cisco Cheng. In fact, software such as power-management utilities can help minimize the impact internal components have on battery longevity. Knowing this can affect your buying decision if you're looking for a new laptop (see the "Picking a Laptop for Maximum Battery Life" section below) or help you get the most out of the trusty laptop you've got. Here are a few ways to optimize hardware for maximum battery output.
Turn off ports. Disabling unused ports and components, such as VGA, Ethernet, PCMCIA, USB, and yes, your wireless, too. You can do this through the Device Manager or by configuring a separate hardware profile (see next step).
Create Power-Saving Hardware Profiles. Configure your laptop for the various scenarios in which you use it (on a plane, at the coffee shop, at the office, and so on). You can do this through the Hardware Profiles menu by right-clicking on My Computer and selecting Preferences or by using a freeware utility such as SparkleXP (for Windows XP users).
Configure your display to turn off when not in use. This is different from just using a screensaver, because in many cases a screensaver still requires the display's backlight to be on. You can set the interval to turn the display off in Windows' Power Options—found in the Control Panel.
Extending the Overall Life
The easiest way to give your battery an early death is to damage it. And the two most common causes of damage are from overheating and using an AC adapter with the wrong voltage. For that, make sure to check the voltage of your adapter, especially if using a replacement adapter. Here's how you prevent overheating:
Use a cooling pad when using a notebook computer on your lap.
Avoid propping your laptop on a pillow, blanket, or other soft surface that can heat up or block cooling fans.
Clean your desk. It sounds strange, but if you have a dusty, dirty desk, that dust will get into the vents and clog the cooling fan. Once the dust is inside your laptop, it is much harder to remove. You can try blasting it out with canned air, but you run the risk of damaging internal components. You can also remove the vent and clean out the grit, but remember that taking apart your laptop can void the warranty. So clean your desk at least once a week, if not daily.
Try not to store your laptop in a place where the air temperature exceeds 80 degrees Fahrenheit, such as a hot car or an outdoor patio. And if your laptop heats up or is cold, let it return to room temperature before starting up.
Consider taking your battery out when using your laptop plugged into AC power. Just make sure to keep the contacts clean. If you need to clean them, use rubbing alcohol.
For lithium ion batteries, you do not need to discharge them fully and recharge constantly. Since they don't have the same "memory" as older nickel-metal hydride batteries, it is actually better to discharge a lithium ion only partially before recharging. You need to do a full discharge only about every 30 charges.
Picking a Laptop for Maximum laptop Battery Life
If you're in the market for a new laptop, there are features and components you should consider to get the most mileage from the system's battery.
An ultra-low-voltage processor, such as the Intel Penryn or one from VIA's line of ULV processors.
A solid-state storage drive, which requires less power and, since there are no spinning parts, will suffer less wear and tear than a traditional hard drive.
An LED display. Although pricey, LEDs use much less power than LCD.
A smaller screen. A smaller screen means a smaller backlight, which will also save on battery drain.
According to Andrew Bradner, product line manager for APC, all lithium ion batteries are not created equal. The proof is in the pudding, or in this case the chemistry. Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to discern if the battery you're buying was manufactured in a top-notch facility using high-quality materials. And making that call is not as easy as assuming your laptop manufacturer's battery will be of better quality than a battery from a third-party vendor. But you can stick to a couple of key guidelines.
Don't skimp on your battery. If you choose the lowest-cost battery you'll probably get a battery that degrades quickly, and you'll end up buying a replacement too soon anyway. So spend the money now to save expense and frustration down the road.
Don't buy an expired battery. A good indicator of a battery's performance is how far into its product life it is, whether it's used or new. If possible, look at the bottom of the battery and find the manufacture date.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Friday, June 4, 2010
10.4 Inch TFT LCD Monitor
LG not prolonged ago sent us the single of their ultimate LCD monitors to review, namely the 10.4 Inch TFT LCD Monitor With HDMI & DVI Inputs speakers which is unequivocally slimline to demeanour during as good as has unequivocally been written with complicated gaming as good as media opening in thoughts sporting the 16:9 comparative measure shade which creates good observation of full tall clarification video interjection to the 1920*1080 resolution.
First of all, the LG W2486L LED guard has positively had the good understanding of time outlayed upon it from the designers as it looks unequivocally neat as good as in vogue from the opening as good as as such rught divided improves the demeanour of your workspace, even when it’s incited off. It’s facilities the silken black extraneous with the tiny red tinting upon the tiny oval base. It reminds me of the new HDTV styling which we’ve come to pattern from the likes of LG as good as Samsung, so it’s good to see which they have been carrying which design philosophy over to their mechanism displays too.
LCD monitors have positively come the prolonged approach since the tiny 15-17 inch CRT screens which during the same time took up outrageous amounts of space upon your desk. This is in no tiny partial interjection to the LED back-lit shade record which is employed, the benefits of which can be rught divided seen as good as felt when we initial put this guard upon your desk; the initial thing we notice when light this out of the box is usually how tiny this weighs. Even compared to prior 24 inch LCD LCD monitors I’ve used – this is the single of the large advantages of LED back-lit record since it’s equates to the box can be done most thinner than the customary LCD counterparts.
10.4 Inch TFT LCD Monitor With HDMI & DVI Inputs speakers guard additionally has the total good of marked down appetite expenditure over normal LCD screens as good as since it is some-more appetite efficient, it additionally runs most cooler, so as good as wasting reduction energy, the components have been no disbelief being put underneath reduction stress, so as if this will proportion to reduction possibility of failures, which can usually be the good thing?
At the behind of the guard there have been the connectors with ports for DVI, 2xHDMI, D-SUB, 3.5mm audio as good as the DC-IN appetite connector (which connects to an adapter box which in spin plugs in to your wall socket). Thanks to the accumulation of connectors they’ve enclosed upon this monitor, it equates to which it’s utterly easy to make make make make use of of of of it as your mechanism guard as good as additionally make make make make use of of of of it as the arrangement for your Xbox 360 as good as PS3 gaming/Blu-Ray/media viewing.
lg-w2486l-led-widescreen-monitor-back-connection-ports-view
Once you’ve got the W2486L all continuous up, we found which the pattern peculiarity looked good true out of the box, the pattern was bright, pointy as good as the colours looked good for ubiquitous computing, full 1080p HD video calm , gaming – I’ve since the World of Warcraft graphics the consummate testing! Not to discuss alternative games such as Call of Duty: World At War as good as Batman: Arkham Asylum. In the gaming as good as HD video tests, this guard achieved unequivocally good interjection to the 2,000,000:1 contrariety comparative measure as good as 2ms reply time.
However, this LG LED guard comes with the accumulation of pattern settings as good as options which we can tweak to get the expect brightness/contrast/colour change which you’re happy with – these have been choice menus have been accessed as good as practiced with the set of touch-sensitive buttons which have been located upon the front of the monitor, so when you’re in need of them, we frequency even know they have been there.
The the single thing we would criticism upon about which yet is which the on/off symbol is additionally the hold supportive symbol which total with the silken styling, equates to which you’ll no disbelief regularly have the tiny form of fingerprints or blemish upon which tiny partial of the front row (unless we have been all the time wiping it with the duster) – not the vital issue, though maybe the often used symbol similar to which competence have been improved positioned as the earthy symbol elsewhere upon the monitor?
lg-w2486l-led-widescreen-monitor-front-side-view
So in ubiquitous make make make make use of of of of the LG W2486L is plain performer, however we would additionally usually discuss the integrate of alternative issues, the initial being which there is no genuine height, tilting, pivot composition probable – which boundary your law observation position, though I’m certain adding those options would have taken divided the tiny of the neat design. Although carrying said, since it weighs comparatively little, it’s utterly easy to pivot (including the total base) usually by pushing/pulling the side of the monitor, so which rather creates up for it.
The second emanate we found was which due to the silken inlet of the base, if you’re anything similar to me as good as lend towards to finish up pulling your set of keys up over the guard bottom when not make make make make use of of of of it, notwithstanding the actuality the underside of my set of keys is utterly well-spoken as good as curved, we did find which the guard bottom got scratched utterly easily, again not the vital issue, though something to cruise if we get one.
Overall, the 10.4 Inch TFT LCD Monitor With HDMI & DVI Inputs speakers is unequivocally the good choice for ubiquitous computing, gaming as good as HD video; it’s got the good frail as good as transparent pattern which looks unequivocally good no make the difference how most movement there is on-screen, ie. no ghosting during all as good as I’m someone who can simply mark as good as be angry by which kind of thing if there is any.
So, if you’re in the marketplace for the modern, in vogue seeking 24 inch LED 16:9 1080p guard afterwards I’d unequivocally suggest we take the demeanour during the LG W2486L which can paid for for reduction than £250.
I’d contend which this is unequivocally value the good 4 out of 5.
First of all, the LG W2486L LED guard has positively had the good understanding of time outlayed upon it from the designers as it looks unequivocally neat as good as in vogue from the opening as good as as such rught divided improves the demeanour of your workspace, even when it’s incited off. It’s facilities the silken black extraneous with the tiny red tinting upon the tiny oval base. It reminds me of the new HDTV styling which we’ve come to pattern from the likes of LG as good as Samsung, so it’s good to see which they have been carrying which design philosophy over to their mechanism displays too.
LCD monitors have positively come the prolonged approach since the tiny 15-17 inch CRT screens which during the same time took up outrageous amounts of space upon your desk. This is in no tiny partial interjection to the LED back-lit shade record which is employed, the benefits of which can be rught divided seen as good as felt when we initial put this guard upon your desk; the initial thing we notice when light this out of the box is usually how tiny this weighs. Even compared to prior 24 inch LCD LCD monitors I’ve used – this is the single of the large advantages of LED back-lit record since it’s equates to the box can be done most thinner than the customary LCD counterparts.
10.4 Inch TFT LCD Monitor With HDMI & DVI Inputs speakers guard additionally has the total good of marked down appetite expenditure over normal LCD screens as good as since it is some-more appetite efficient, it additionally runs most cooler, so as good as wasting reduction energy, the components have been no disbelief being put underneath reduction stress, so as if this will proportion to reduction possibility of failures, which can usually be the good thing?
At the behind of the guard there have been the connectors with ports for DVI, 2xHDMI, D-SUB, 3.5mm audio as good as the DC-IN appetite connector (which connects to an adapter box which in spin plugs in to your wall socket). Thanks to the accumulation of connectors they’ve enclosed upon this monitor, it equates to which it’s utterly easy to make make make make use of of of of it as your mechanism guard as good as additionally make make make make use of of of of it as the arrangement for your Xbox 360 as good as PS3 gaming/Blu-Ray/media viewing.
lg-w2486l-led-widescreen-monitor-back-connection-ports-view
Once you’ve got the W2486L all continuous up, we found which the pattern peculiarity looked good true out of the box, the pattern was bright, pointy as good as the colours looked good for ubiquitous computing, full 1080p HD video calm , gaming – I’ve since the World of Warcraft graphics the consummate testing! Not to discuss alternative games such as Call of Duty: World At War as good as Batman: Arkham Asylum. In the gaming as good as HD video tests, this guard achieved unequivocally good interjection to the 2,000,000:1 contrariety comparative measure as good as 2ms reply time.
However, this LG LED guard comes with the accumulation of pattern settings as good as options which we can tweak to get the expect brightness/contrast/colour change which you’re happy with – these have been choice menus have been accessed as good as practiced with the set of touch-sensitive buttons which have been located upon the front of the monitor, so when you’re in need of them, we frequency even know they have been there.
The the single thing we would criticism upon about which yet is which the on/off symbol is additionally the hold supportive symbol which total with the silken styling, equates to which you’ll no disbelief regularly have the tiny form of fingerprints or blemish upon which tiny partial of the front row (unless we have been all the time wiping it with the duster) – not the vital issue, though maybe the often used symbol similar to which competence have been improved positioned as the earthy symbol elsewhere upon the monitor?
lg-w2486l-led-widescreen-monitor-front-side-view
So in ubiquitous make make make make use of of of of the LG W2486L is plain performer, however we would additionally usually discuss the integrate of alternative issues, the initial being which there is no genuine height, tilting, pivot composition probable – which boundary your law observation position, though I’m certain adding those options would have taken divided the tiny of the neat design. Although carrying said, since it weighs comparatively little, it’s utterly easy to pivot (including the total base) usually by pushing/pulling the side of the monitor, so which rather creates up for it.
The second emanate we found was which due to the silken inlet of the base, if you’re anything similar to me as good as lend towards to finish up pulling your set of keys up over the guard bottom when not make make make make use of of of of it, notwithstanding the actuality the underside of my set of keys is utterly well-spoken as good as curved, we did find which the guard bottom got scratched utterly easily, again not the vital issue, though something to cruise if we get one.
Overall, the 10.4 Inch TFT LCD Monitor With HDMI & DVI Inputs speakers is unequivocally the good choice for ubiquitous computing, gaming as good as HD video; it’s got the good frail as good as transparent pattern which looks unequivocally good no make the difference how most movement there is on-screen, ie. no ghosting during all as good as I’m someone who can simply mark as good as be angry by which kind of thing if there is any.
So, if you’re in the marketplace for the modern, in vogue seeking 24 inch LED 16:9 1080p guard afterwards I’d unequivocally suggest we take the demeanour during the LG W2486L which can paid for for reduction than £250.
I’d contend which this is unequivocally value the good 4 out of 5.
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