4 Battery Tips for Your Mobile Gadgets Mention the words “battery life.” The first gadget that comes to mind is probably the energy-consuming laptop computer — particularly if you’re on the go a lot. If not, it should be. There never seems to be enough juice to run your portable PC, as I griped about in a previous article. Ah, but if laptop PCs were the extent of your battery blues, you might not feel so, well, powerless. But power problems plague other mobile devices. For example, a 2003 In-Stat/MDR survey found that long battery life ranked as the most important feature to business users when selecting a wireless handset. Users of personal digital assistants (PDAs) are just as concerned about a possible energy crisis. I know because I am one and I never seem to stop worrying about running dry. So, what about mobile gadgets? How do you make sure your batteries last as long as possible? Here are four tips.
But let’s be honest: Keeping your batteries at peak performance is a lot like taking care of an infant. Lots of “dos” and “don’ts” to remember — change this, stay away from that, follow the directions, etc. Does anyone expect you to do all of this? Well, not really. I leave my cell phone charger plugged in overnight from time to time (OK, more than that) and I’ve never cycled my batteries. Is there a solution for those of us who really couldn’t be bothered? I spoke with Bill Acker, president and CEO of MTI Micro Fuel Cells, an Albany, N.Y., battery manufacturer. He tells me that fuel cells will soon become alternatives to today’s high-maintenance lithium-ion batteries. The new technology can hold up to 10 times more of a charge than conventional batteries. “For the first time,” he says, “wireless and other electronic hand held devices will be truly wireless.” But fuel cell technology and other innovations like it are still a few years away from being widely available. Until then, these four tips can help you stretch your power supply to the limit. |
Carl Mazzanti is Co-Founder and President of eMazzanti Technologies, Microsoft’s four time Partner of the Year and one of the premier IT consulting services for businesses throughout the New York metropolitan area and internationally. Carl and his company manage over 400 active accounts ranging from professional services firms to high-end global retailers.
eMazzanti is all about delivering powerful, efficient outsourced IT services, such as computer network management and troubleshooting, managed print, PCI DSS compliance, green computing, mobile workforce technology, information security, cloud computing, and business continuity and disaster recovery.
Carl Mazzanti is also a frequent business conference speaker and technology talk show guest and contributor at Microsoft-focused events, including frequent prominent roles at the Microsoft Inspire (Worldwide Partner Conference / WPC).
Carl, a serial Entrepreneur, gives back to the community through Entrepreneur teaching engagements at Georgetown University, the company’s ocean wildlife conservation effort, the Blue Project, and Tree Mazzanti.