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Extend the Battery Life of a Cell Phone

nobody@vox.com(JackHerrick) — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 11:44:16 -0800

How to Make Your Cell Phone Battery Last Longer

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

While many of us now use cell phones in place of land-line phones in our homes, the primary benefit of cell phones remains their portability. A cell phone is only as portable as its power source, however, so to get the most out of your phone you need to get the most out of your battery. When it comes to battery life, there are two separate, but connected, considerations: how to make the battery last longer between charges, and how to prolong the overall life of the battery.

Steps

Increase Time between Charges

Turn the phone off. This is probably the most effective and simplest way of conserving your battery’s power. If you don't plan on answering the phone while you're sleeping or after business hours, just turn it off. Do the same if you are in an area with no reception (such as a subway or remote area) or in a roaming area, since constantly searching for service depletes the battery fairly quickly. Some phones have an automatic power save feature, but it takes about 30 minutes with no service to kick in. By then, much battery power has been used.
Stop searching for a signal. When you are in an area with poor or no signal, your phone will constantly look for a better connection, and will use up all your power doing so. This is easily understood if you have ever forgotten to turn off your phone on a flight. The best way to ensure longer battery life is to make sure you have a great signal where you use your phone. If you don't have a perfect signal, get a cell phone repeater which will amplify the signal to provide near perfect reception anywhere.
Switch off the vibrate function on your phone, and use just the ring tone instead. The vibrate function uses up a lot of battery power. Keep the ring tone volume as low as possible.
Turn off your phone's back light. The back light is what makes the phone easier to read in bright light or outside. However, the light also uses battery power. If you can get by without it, your battery will last longer. If you have to use the back light, many phones will let you set the amount of time to leave the back light on. Shorten that amount of time. Usually, one or two seconds will be sufficient. Some phones have an ambient light sensor, which can turn off the back light in bright conditions and enable it in darker ones.
Avoid using unnecessary features. If you know it will be a while before your phone’s next charge, don’t use the camera or connect to the Internet. Flash photography can drain your battery especially quickly. If your phone has bluetooth capability, disable it when not in use.
Keep calls short. This is obvious, but how many times have you heard someone on their cell phone say, "I think my battery’s dying," and then continue their conversation for several minutes? Sometimes, the dying battery is just an excuse to get off the phone (and a good one, at that), but if you really need to conserve the battery, limit your talk time.

Prolong the Life of Your Battery

Initialize a new battery. New batteries should be fully charged before their first use to obtain maximum capacity. Nickel-based batteries should be charged for 16 hours initially and run through 2-4 full charge/full discharge cycles, while lithium ion batteries should be charged for about 5-6 hours. Ignore the phone telling you that the battery is full--this is normal but is not accurate if the battery is not initialized.[1]
Keep the battery cool. Your battery will last longest if used near room temperature, and nothing wears on a battery like extended exposure to high temperatures. While you can’t control the weather, you can avoid leaving your phone in a hot car or in direct sunlight, and you don’t have to carry your phone in your pocket, where your body heat will raise its temperature. In addition, check the battery while it’s charging. If it seems excessively hot, your charger may be malfunctioning.
Charge your battery correctly, in accordance with its type. Most newer cell phones have lithium-ion batteries, while older ones generally have nickel-based batteries. Read the label on the back of the battery or in the technical specifications in the manual to determine which yours is.
- Nickel-based batteries (either NiCd or NiMH) suffer from a phenomenon known as the "memory effect." If you charge the battery partially enough times, eventually the battery "forgets" that it can charge fully. A nickel-based battery suffering from memory effect can be reconditioned, which requires the battery to be completely discharged, then completely recharged (sometimes several times). The appropriate length of time between reconditionings varies. A good rule to follow for nickel-battery cell-phones is to discharge them completely once every two to three weeks, and only when you have a charger available. [2]
- Lithium ion batteries, on the other hand, do not suffer from the same memory effect. However, many devices that use lithium batteries have a battery meter, showing the user how much charge the battery has left. Starting with a battery's manufacture at the factory, lithium ions oxidize in the battery, shortening its life. After a certain amount of time, the battery exhibits slightly different electronic properties, which the device can only detect when the battery is discharged. This type of problem is known as a "virtual memory effect" and occurs when your battery meter can show a high charge, then suddenly drop to low charge when the battery is almost dead. Every thirty cumulative cycles, you should discharge lithium ion batteries until the phone gives a low battery warning, then recharge it. If you discharge lithium ion batteries to zero voltage, the internal safety circuit may open. In that case, a normal charger will be inadequate. Reconditioning ensures that the battery meter on a lithium ion cellphone is accurate (although it will not affect actual battery capacity).
- Regardless of the battery type, use only a charger rated for your battery, and discontinue use of a charger that causes the battery to heat up excessively.
Store batteries properly. If your battery will be out of use for a while, disconnect it from the phone and store it in a cool place (the refrigerator is good, but freezing temperatures do not slow oxidation) and away from metal objects. Ensure that the battery is not exposed to moisture; try putting the battery in an airtight container or bag. Lithium ion batteries are not rated to operate at refrigerated temperatures, so let the battery sit outside the refrigerator for at least an hour before using it again. Lithium ion batteries oxidize least when they are stored at 40% charge. Never store a lithium battery at low voltage. Recharge batteries after storage.
Clean the battery contacts on the battery and on the phone. Over time, contacts may accumulate dirt. Clean them with a cotton swab and rubbing alcohol to maximize the efficiency of energy transfer. In addition, if the contacts are two different metals, such as gold and tin, accelerated corrosion known as "fretting" occurs. Cutting the corrosion from fretted contacts often requires solvents, such as acetone or nail polish remover. Be careful: these solvent dissolve plastic, so use a Q-Tip to avoid damaging the battery housing or the phone.

Battery Failure Indicators

The usable time after recharging is shortened.
The battery becomes unusually warm during a recharge cycle.
The battery becomes unusually warm during phone use.
The battery case often is swollen. This is detectable by feeling and viewing the inside/phone-side of the battery case. Also, when the battery is placed inside/phone-side down on a flat, smooth surface, it will rock and will sustain a spin motion. The case of a healthy battery is flat and will not sustain a spin motion.
The battery develops a hard spot. This is detectable on the inside/phone-side surface of the battery by gently pinching about the surface between one's fingers.

Tips

Regardless of how well you care for your battery, it will die eventually. When it does, you may be able to have it refurbished by sending it to the manufacturer or bringing it back to the retailer. If it cannot be refurbished, or if you just want to get a new battery, be sure to recycle it, either by returning it to the manufacturer or retailer, or by bringing it to a recycling center. Most Best Buy stores have drop-off boxes for recycled phones.
You should not have to turn off your phone to charge it. Most battery chargers deliver more than enough current to power your phone and charge it at the same time. Doing so will not lengthen the charge time, and leaving a phone on allows the user to be aware of its fuel gauge, so that you can remove it when the battery is full.
When using a car charger, do not charge the battery when the inside temperature of your car is hot. Wait until the car has cooled before you plug in the phone.

Warnings

Do not store a lithium battery with a very low charge for a long time, the battery monitor will draw a small current, which might cause a 'deep discharge' which may cause damage to the battery.
Avoid cheap, knockoff chargers as they may cause excessive battery heating.
When buying lithium ion batteries, be aware that oxidation begins at the time of manufacture, not the time of first use. As such, older lithium batteries will have reduced capacity (about 20% per year stored at room temperature). If you buy a battery at a clearance sale price, expect that you will get less life out of the cell phone.
Never dispose of old batteries in the trash. Batteries contain toxic metals, and electronic waste from batteries and other electronic components is becoming a major problem. Improper disposal of toxic batteries is illegal in many jurisdictions.[3]

Related wikiHows

Sources and Citations

↑ http://articles.techrepublic.com.com/5100-6255-1043618-2.html

↑ http://articles.techrepublic.com.com/5100-6255-1043618-2.html

↑ Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation

Battery University Detailed information on caring for batteries of all types
TechRepublic.com Article on extending battery life

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Make Your Cell Phone Battery Last Longer. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

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Patience

nobody@vox.com(JackHerrick) — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 09:18:51 -0800

Hey all, I'm testing some wikiHow stuff here. Read or ignore as you see fit!

How to Be Patient

from wikiHow

It has never been easy to be patient, but it's probably harder now than at any time in history. In a world in which messages can be sent across the world instantly, in which seemingly everything is available for immediate purchase with a few clicks of the mouse, it's hard not to always expect instant gratification. But patience remains a valuable tool in life. We don't always get instant gratification, and some of the best things in life require years of hard work and waiting. Fortunately, patience is a virtue that can be cultivated and nurtured.

Steps

Try to figure out why you're in such a hurry. We tend to lose our patience when we're multi-tasking or when we're on a tight schedule. If you're stretching yourself too thin, you should reconsider your to-do list before you attempt to change your natural reaction to an overwhelming situation. Try to spread out your tasks so that you're doing only one thing at a time. Delegate responsibilities to others if you can; this in itself may be a test of your patience, but you have to learn to share the load.
Pinpoint the triggers that often make you lose your patience. Impatience creeps in insidiously, and if you feel anxious, worried, or unhappy you may not even realize that the underlying cause of these feelings is impatience. To reduce the frequency of impatience, it helps to be aware of it. Which events, people, phrases or circumstances always seem to make you lose your cool? Sit down and make a list of all the things which cause you anxiety, tension, or frustration. At the core of most triggers is a reality that we have a hard time accepting. What are those realities for you?
Overcome bouts of impatience. In the long run, developing patience requires a change in your attitude about life, but you can immediately make progress by learning to relax whenever you feel impatient. Take a few deep breaths and just try to clear your mind. Concentrate on breathing and you'll be able to get your bearings.
Look for patterns. Being aware of your impatience also gives you a chance to learn from it and perhaps uncover a relationship or circumstance that is simply not healthy or constructive, and that you may have the power to change. Figure that out, and you can then think logically about the problem issue and decide whether or not your impatience is warranted or helpful. It usually isn't, but when it is you can then figure out ways to fix the root problem rather than simply feeling stressed about it.
Let go if you can't do anything about the impatience trigger. If there isn't anything that you can do to resolve whatever has triggered your impatience, just let it go. Easier said than done, yes, but it's possible, and it's the only healthy thing to do. Initially, you will probably find it difficult to let go if the matter is important to you--waiting to hear back after a job interview, for instance--but you should be able to alleviate impatience that's caused by issues of less consequence (i.e. waiting in line at the grocery store). If you make a concerted effort to be more patient in relatively inconsequential, short-term situations, you'll gradually develop the strength to remain patient in even the most trying and enduring situations.
Remind yourself that things take time. People who are impatient are people who insist on getting things done now and don't like to waste time. However, some things just can't be rushed. Think about your happiest memories. Chances are, they were instances when your patience paid off, like when you worked steadily towards a goal that wasn't immediately gratifying, or took a little extra time to spend leisurely with a loved one. Would you have those memories if you had been impatient? Probably not. Almost anything really good in life takes time and dedication, and if you're impatient, you're more likely to give up on relationships, goals, and other things that are important to you. Good things may not always come to those who wait, but most good things that do come don't come right away.
Expect the unexpected. Yes, you have plans, but things don't always work out as planned. Accept the twist and turns in life gracefully. Keep your expectations realistic. This applies not only to circumstances, but also the behavior of those around you. If you find yourself blowing up over your child or your spouse accidentally spilling a drink, you're not in touch with the fact that people aren't perfect. Even if the occasion is not an isolated incident but is instead caused by their repeated neglect and carelessness, losing your patience isn't going to make it any better. That's something to be addressed with discussion and self-control.
Give yourself a break. The meaning of this is twofold. First, take a few minutes to do absolutely nothing. Just sit quietly and think. Don't watch television; don't even read. Do nothing. It may be hard at first, and you may even feel pretty impatient after a minute or two, but by taking some time out you can essentially slow your world down, and that's important to develop the attitude necessary to develop patience. Second, stop holding yourself and the world around you to unreachable standards. Sure, we'd all be more patient if babies didn't cry, dishes didn't break, computers didn't crash, and people didn't make mistakes--but that's never going to happen. Expecting the world to run smoothly is like beating your head against the wall. Give yourself a break.
Remember what matters. Not focusing on what matters most in this life fuels impatience. Moving the world toward peace by being kind, generous in forgiveness of others, being grateful for what is, and taking full advantage of now matter most. When other less important things fuel our impatience, taking time to remember any one of these items reduces our tendency to want something different right now.

Tips

Boredom can make it very difficult to be patient. If you're waiting in the doctor's office and the only thing you can concentrate on is the ticking clock, good luck trying to be patient. If, however, you can read a book or do a crossword puzzle, time will fly by (or at least creep less slowly). If you've nothing to do while you're waiting, just try to appreciate the fact that you have nothing to do. In a fast-paced world, opportunities to do nothing are rare and should be cherished.
Once you are able to change your attitude so that you are a patient person, you will find that patience can help you endure any tribulation, no matter how long-lasting or difficult. More importantly, perhaps, patience can help you achieve your goals.
Many people find that spirituality helps develop patience. Nearly every religion places value on patience, and indeed, having a belief system and embracing your spirituality can help you let go of things you cannot change and can comfort you when you are waiting. If you're not religious, you may still benefit from prayer or meditation, even if you're just talking to yourself, because these activities take you out of the worldly hustle and bustle.
Being patient with others is a form of respect for them. Nobody is perfect, and if you want to be a good parent, boss, spouse, or friend, it's important to recognize this and to be patient with people.
Developing patience is not easy, and you've got to be motivated to become more patient. You can do it, however, and you should. Patience can reduce your stress levels and improve your health and longevity, and patience can actually make you happier. Whenever you find yourself growing impatient, think about the positive effects of patience, and remember that impatience only makes things worse.
Instead of becoming annoyed by a distraction (such as a crying baby on a long flight), try just being a passive observer. If you make it daily practice to observe things and events without judging or forming an opinion, being able to acknowledge something without allowing it to annoy you will become easier with time.

Warnings

Patience should be no excuse for procrastination. While patience can help you be OK with doing nothing, it's important to understand that idleness breeds impatience and stress.
Be patient with others who display little patience; if they bother you too much, make an excuse to locate yourself somewhere else and take a break from their anxiety-inducing behavior.

Related wikiHows

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Be Patient. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

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How to Block Beacon

nobody@vox.com(JackHerrick) — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 18:50:50 -0800

How to Block Facebook Beacon

from wikiHow

On November 6th, 2007 Facebook launched a new feature called Beacon which collects data on the behavior of Facebook users on several commercial websites such as eBay, Fandango, Zappos and Overstock.com. [1] When a Facebook user purchases an item at one of these websites, Facebook provides a way for the user to advertise their purchase on their Facebook News Feed.[2] Although early versions of the Beacon service permitted users to decline sending out the advertising, Facebook did not allow users to opt out of the data collection and behavior monitoring.[3][4] After substantial outcry from privacy advocates, on December 6, 2007 Facebook made changes to Beacon that permit everyone to opt out from any data collection; according to Facebook's founder, "If you select that you don't want to share some Beacon actions or if you turn off Beacon, then Facebook won't store those actions even when partners send them to Facebook." [5]
For users of Facebook who would prefer not permit Facebook to collect and share this sort of data, this article offers two easy ways to block Beacon. The first uses Facebook's privacy settings and works with all browsers. The second uses an easy-to-install add-on for the Firefox browser. Follow these simple steps to ensure your private information remains private.

Steps

Block Facebook Beacon Using Facebook Privacy Settings

Log in to your Facebook profile
Click on Privacy in the Facebook toolbar.
Find External Websites on the bottom of the list of privacy options and click on Edit Settings.
Check the box next to Don't allow any websites to send stories to my profile.
Click on Save. Facebook Beacon is now blocked from storing any information about your activity on other sites.
Note that this method only stops your information from being published- Facebook still receives it. They claim not to store it, but it is impossible to verify from the outside. To assure that Facebook does not transmit your data, consider doing a full block described below.

Block Facebook Beacon Using Firefox

Install the Firefox browser if you do not already have it.
Install the BlockSite extension from the Mozilla website. You can also use the popular Adblock plus extensions.
- Scroll down the page and click on the green Install Now button. Firefox may try to block the installation; if so you will see a yellow bar appear at top of your browser window with text "Firefox prevented this site (addons.mozilla.org) from asking you to install software on your computer." If you see this message, click on the Edit Options... button on the right side of the yellow bar and a small pop-out window will appear.
- Click on the "Allow" button on the pop-out window to add this site to the list of sites you permit to install addons.
- Close the pop out window by clicking on the red circle in the upper left corner.
- Click on the green Install Now button on the Mozilla Add-ons web page a second time. Another small window will appear.
- Click on the blue button in the new window to install the BlockSite extension.
- Restart Firefox once this extension has been installed to complete the process and enable BlockSite.
Click on the Firefox "Tools" menu and select Add-ons (the tools menu is located at the top of your screen next to the Bookmarks menu).
Click on Extensions, then on Blocksite, and then on "Options" (for Windows) or Preferences (for Mac/Linux)..
Click on the Add button in the Options/Preferences window.
Type this URL in the small box that pops up "http://*facebook.com/beacon/*" and then click on the OK button.
Check Options/Preferences window to make sure that the beacon URL shows in the Locations window.
Click OK at the bottom of the window to complete the block.

Tips

If using a Firefox add-on, be sure to enter the asterisks as shown after "http://" and before the word "facebook" in the URL as well as after "beacon/" to ensure the add-on blocks sites properly. These asterisks are wildcards that tell the extension to block different iterations of http://facebook.com/beacon/ like http://www.facebook.com/beacon/ and others.
If you decide to opt out, this information will not be shared with your friends or Facebook. Using Facebook's system, you can opt-out on a company-by-company basis or you can opt-out of Beacon's information sharing system entirely.
Opera users can go to Tools > Advanced > Blocked Content and add the same URL given above to block Beacon.[6]
You may also wish to review your other privacy settings on Facebook and make sure that you aren't sharing more information than you care to with others.

Warnings

Be careful of the personal data you share with social networking sites. Identity thieves are increasingly using sites like Facebook to help them compromise others' identities. [7]

Related wikiHows

Sources and Citations

↑ Facebook Press release, November 6, 2007

↑ Facebook Press Release, November 29, 2007

↑ Official: Facebook Flips on Beacon November 29, 2007

↑ Facebook: I'm Still Watching You Watch Me

↑ Facebook Blog, December 5, 2007

↑ http://antivirus.about.com/b/2007/12/01/no-opting-out-of-facebook-beacons.htm

↑ Facebook bonanza for ID thieves. Sunday Times Online, November 18, 2007

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Block Facebook Beacon. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

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How to Block Beacon

nobody@vox.com(JackHerrick) — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 18:50:48 -0800

How to Block Facebook Beacon

from wikiHow

Steps

Block Facebook Beacon Using Facebook Privacy Settings

Log in to your Facebook profile
Click on Privacy in the Facebook toolbar.
Find External Websites on the bottom of the list of privacy options and click on Edit Settings.
Check the box next to Don't allow any websites to send stories to my profile.
Click on Save. Facebook Beacon is now blocked from storing any information about your activity on other sites.
Note that this method only stops your information from being published- Facebook still receives it. They claim not to store it, but it is impossible to verify from the outside. To assure that Facebook does not transmit your data, consider doing a full block described below.

Block Facebook Beacon Using Firefox

Install the Firefox browser if you do not already have it.
Install the BlockSite extension from the Mozilla website. You can also use the popular Adblock plus extensions.
- Scroll down the page and click on the green Install Now button. Firefox may try to block the installation; if so you will see a yellow bar appear at top of your browser window with text "Firefox prevented this site (addons.mozilla.org) from asking you to install software on your computer." If you see this message, click on the Edit Options... button on the right side of the yellow bar and a small pop-out window will appear.
- Click on the "Allow" button on the pop-out window to add this site to the list of sites you permit to install addons.
- Close the pop out window by clicking on the red circle in the upper left corner.
- Click on the green Install Now button on the Mozilla Add-ons web page a second time. Another small window will appear.
- Click on the blue button in the new window to install the BlockSite extension.
- Restart Firefox once this extension has been installed to complete the process and enable BlockSite.
Click on the Firefox "Tools" menu and select Add-ons (the tools menu is located at the top of your screen next to the Bookmarks menu).
Click on Extensions, then on Blocksite, and then on "Options" (for Windows) or Preferences (for Mac/Linux)..
Click on the Add button in the Options/Preferences window.
Type this URL in the small box that pops up "http://*facebook.com/beacon/*" and then click on the OK button.
Check Options/Preferences window to make sure that the beacon URL shows in the Locations window.
Click OK at the bottom of the window to complete the block.

Tips

If using a Firefox add-on, be sure to enter the asterisks as shown after "http://" and before the word "facebook" in the URL as well as after "beacon/" to ensure the add-on blocks sites properly. These asterisks are wildcards that tell the extension to block different iterations of http://facebook.com/beacon/ like http://www.facebook.com/beacon/ and others.
If you decide to opt out, this information will not be shared with your friends or Facebook. Using Facebook's system, you can opt-out on a company-by-company basis or you can opt-out of Beacon's information sharing system entirely.
Opera users can go to Tools > Advanced > Blocked Content and add the same URL given above to block Beacon.[6]
You may also wish to review your other privacy settings on Facebook and make sure that you aren't sharing more information than you care to with others.

Warnings

Be careful of the personal data you share with social networking sites. Identity thieves are increasingly using sites like Facebook to help them compromise others' identities. [7]

Related wikiHows

Sources and Citations

↑ Facebook Press release, November 6, 2007

↑ Facebook Press Release, November 29, 2007

↑ Official: Facebook Flips on Beacon November 29, 2007

↑ Facebook: I'm Still Watching You Watch Me

↑ Facebook Blog, December 5, 2007

↑ http://antivirus.about.com/b/2007/12/01/no-opting-out-of-facebook-beacons.htm

↑ Facebook bonanza for ID thieves. Sunday Times Online, November 18, 2007

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Block Facebook Beacon. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

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