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12 Tips to Get Through the Blizzard of 2017 with Tech

Ryan — Sun, 12 Mar 2017 15:19:39 +0000

The northeast is expected to see blizzard-like conditions in the coming days. With heavy snow and high winds, there’s a chance of widespread power outages. Here are some tips for keeping your gadgets charged and yourself entertained.

Turn on Low Power Mode: Obviously, if you’re phone has a “battery saver” or “low power mode” setting, you’ll want to enable it first thing.
Dim your screen. Go into your phone’s display settings and see if your phone is usable at the lowest setting, even if it means cupping your hand over the screen to see it. The backlight can be one of the biggest drains on your battery.
Try airplane mode. If you know you won’t need your phone for a couple hours, try enabling airplane mode. This shuts off the cellular, bluetooth, and WiFi radios which greatly prolongs battery life, but at the same time, can prevent you from receiving important calls and texts.
Grab some external batteries and chargers. Many different power packs are available that allow you to connect virtually any device that can charge via USB. Here are some examples:
1. Anker PowerCore 20100 provides about 6-7 full phone recharges or up to 2 tablet recharges.
2. Anker PowerCore Mini is a more portable solution and provides about 1 smartphone recharge.
3. Kayo Maxtar Power Bank is ideal if you want to go all out (or have a large family to keep charged). It can charge 4 USB devices at once, and can also charge many PC laptops.
4. American Red Cross Radio and Phone Charger can be charged by hand-crank, solar panels, or can use AAA batteries. It also serves as a AM, FM and weather radio
Turn off GPS. If you’re staying put until the storm lets up, it probably won’t hurt to disable the GPS (also referred to as “location services”) in your phone’s settings. Many weather apps will let you enter your zip code in order to retrieve your forecast instead of requiring the use of the GPS.
Reduce notifications. During an emergency, you probably don’t care that it is your turn in Words With Friends, so disable unnecessary notifications to prevent your screen from lighting up every few seconds. Many phones allow you to change the notifications to “sound only” which helps preserve battery power that would otherwise be used to light up your screen. iPhone users can enable Do Not Disturb to automatically stop all notifications at once.
Keep it plugged in. If you haven’t lost power yet, keep your phone plugged into the charger (connected to a surge protector, of course). That way, if your power does go out, your battery will start out at 100%.
Keep your other devices charged. It seems that everything connects to the Internet, so take an inventory of your other devices that would let you check the news or perhaps make a quick phone call if necessary. Your work Blackberry or Kindle Keyboard may include voice and data services over cellular that can come in handy if your main phone is dead. Another little known fact: some laptops continue to power the USB ports while the laptop is “sleeping”. Charge up your laptop’s battery, let is sleep, and use the laptop as a powerbank.
Create your own entertainment hotspot: WiFi-only devices like tablets will be cut off from the outside world if your main internet connection goes out with the power. However, if you can store some offline movies, games or e-books, your tablet can still entertain you without an internet connection. The SanDisk Connect Wireless Flash Drive creates a local WiFi hotspot that your smartphones and tablets can connect to stream videos and music. Just be sure to load up the drive beforehand with your favorite movies and shows.
Load up your tablet with Netflix Downloads: Before your lose power and internet, be sure to download your Netflix queue to your phone or tablet for offline viewing. Open up the Netflix app and navigate to the shows you want to watch. If they can be downloaded, you will see a small down arrow. In most cases, you can select “Standard” quality which will take up less storage and allow you to store more shows on your device.
Don’t sit in silence: If you love music, be sure to pickup a Bluetooth speaker with long battery life, such as the Anker SoundCore Mini. It can play up to 15 hours on a single charge and also features an FM tuner, so you don’t need to worry about going through your phone’s data plan.
Don’t sit in the dark: As the sun goes down, you’ll want to light up your home if the power is out. Make your power banks even more useful by adding a USB-powered light. These draw very little power and last a long time with a large power bank. The Anker LC90 LED flashlight can also be recharged via Micro USB from a power bank. And the MAXOAK Dimmable Desk Lamp can also be recharged from a power bank and provides a nice area light. Or if you have an old smartphone sitting in a drawer, charge it up and use a flashlight app to find your way in the dark. If it doesn’t have a built-in flash LED, simply open a web browser to a blank, white page and sit the phone face up on a table. The light should reflect from the ceiling and provide a decent area light (just be sure to increase the screen timeout time in settings).

Photo by FHKE

The post 12 Tips to Get Through the Blizzard of 2017 with Tech appeared first on Technically Well.

3 Gadgets That Can Help Keep You Warm

Ryan — Sun, 15 Feb 2015 13:56:37 +0000

As yet another Polar Vortex sets in across the country today, you may be looking for easy ways to take the chill out of the air. Check out these handy gadgets for keeping warm.

Electronic hand warmers can be very “handy” when you must brave the cold. When not warming your hands, some can also be used as a flashlight or as an external battery for your phone.
Cold coffee won’t do much to keep you warm, so maintain the temperature of your coffee or hot cocoa with a handy cup warmer. It sits conveniently on your desk to keep your beverage warm and within easy reach.
MyHeat Compact Space Heater
Someday they will develop technology where office buildings can maintain a comfortable temperature. Until that day, this small space heater can help prevent frosty fingers on your keyboard. It only uses 200 watts, so it shouldn’t trip your cubicle’s breaker, but check with your HR department first to see if such devices are allowed.

If you find yourself in a power outage during the winter, check out these tips for preserving your phone’s battery.

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7 Tips for Preserving Your Phone Battery During a Storm

Ryan — Thu, 13 Feb 2014 15:27:07 +0000

As another winter storm affects many parts of the country today, widespread power outages can occur. During these times, your phone may be your only connection to the outside world. Here are some tips for keeping it charged.

Enable Low Power Mode. First, you’ll want to enable “Low Power Mode” or “Battery Saver” if your phone has the feature (here’s the instructions for enabling Low Power Mode for iPhone users).
Dim your screen. Go into your phone’s display settings and see if your phone is usable at the lowest setting, even if it means cupping your hand over the screen to see it. The backlight can be one of the biggest drains on your battery.
Turn off GPS. If you’re staying put until the storm lets up, you could consider turning of the GPS (also referred to as “location services”) in your phone’s settings. Many weather apps will let you enter your zip code in order to retrieve your forecast instead of requiring the use of the power-hungry GPS chip.
Reduce notifications. During an emergency, you probably don’t need your phone to light up (and drain) every time SnapChat sends you a “your friend is typing” notification. Disable unnecessary notifications to prevent your screen from lighting up every few seconds. Many phones allow you to change the notifications to “sound only” which helps preserve battery power that would otherwise be used to light up your screen. Many phones will not light up the screen for each notification if you place it face down on a surface.
Keep it plugged in. If you haven’t lost power yet, keep your phone plugged into the charger (connected to a surge protector, of course). That way, if your power does go out, your battery will start out at 100%.
Utilize your other devices. Instead of draining the battery of your primary phone by streaming music or shows, utilize any other devices you may have to stay entertained. You don’t want to be stuck in a situation where you can’t make a phone call because you drained the battery binging a show. WiFi-only devices will likely be cut off from the outside world if your main internet connection goes out with the power. However, if you can store some offline movies, games or e-books ahead of time, a tablet or old phone can still entertain you without an internet connection while your preserve the battery in your primary phone. Another little known fact: some laptops continue to power the USB ports while the laptop is “sleeping”. Charge up your laptop’s battery, let is sleep, and use the laptop as a giant power bank.
Grab some external batteries and chargers. Many different power banks are available that allow you to connect virtually any device that can charge via USB. Emergency radios are also good to have on hand as can not only act as a power bank, but they can also function as a radio, a flashlight, and a siren.
Here are some power banks and radios to consider: