batteries
Fix
DIY 9V Battery-Powered USB Charger
6:30AM Sarah Rae Trover | Sure you could go buy a USB charger off the shelf, but what fun would that be? Try making one yourself with a little help from a 9V battery and a few extra components. More »
Fix
3:00AM Kevin Purdy | Modern phones come loaded with bright screens, fun games and apps, and connections for 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS. Not coincidentally, they’re constantly out of juice. Here’s some of the best collected wisdom about saving your web-connected phone’s battery life. More »
An Exhaustive Guide To Saving Your Smartphone’s Battery
3:00AM Kevin Purdy | Modern phones come loaded with bright screens, fun games and apps, and connections for 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS. Not coincidentally, they’re constantly out of juice. Here’s some of the best collected wisdom about saving your web-connected phone’s battery life. More »
Fix
Unplug Your Laptop Regularly (When In Doubt)
1:00AM Gina Trapani | A friend replaced her laptop’s battery after only two years because it wouldn’t hold a charge. I suggested she shouldn’t keep her laptop always plugged in, but I wondered—was this outdated geek lore, rendered obsolete by modern batteries? More »
Money
Know When To Use Alkaline Versus Rechargeable Batteries
8:00AM Azadeh Ensha | Rechargeable batteries have their share of benefits (helping the environment, for one), but when it comes to saving money, personal finance blogger Len Penzo argues that sometimes regular old alkalines are the better option. More »
Fix
Use A Paper Clip To Power A Remote With One Battery
11:00PM Kevin Purdy | If greedy gadgets or inconsiderate guests have pulled all but one battery from a remote, or you’ve only got one good battery and really need it to work, a DIY circuit-tweaker suggests using a paper clip to get by for the time being. More »
Work
Windows 7 With Intel Might Offer Better Battery Life
1:00AM Kevin Purdy | Microsoft’s Windows 7 honchos recently showed off the power performance improvements of their soon to be released OS, playing a DVD on a Vista Ultimate and Windows 7 Ultimate laptop side-by-side. The Vista notebook showed 4.14 hours of life left, while Windows 7 offered 5.5 hours. More »
Work
BattCursor Turns Your Mouse Into A High-Visibility Battery Meter
5:00AM Jason Fitzpatrick | Windows: When you’re away from an outlet and flying on battery power alone, keeping an eye on how much juice your laptop has is critical. BattCursor makes it easy to track how much power you have left. More »
Fix
Squeeze Every Ounce Of Power From Your Disposable Batteries
9:00PM Dustin L. | Sometimes it seems that today’s electronic devices gobble up batteries faster than we can buy them. Learn how to get the most life out of your batteries by following the simple tips below. More »
Design
Skip Deletions To Save Your Digital Camera’s Battery
2:00AM Kevin Purdy | An experienced, battery-killing photographer knows what kills the juice in digital cameras, and it’s the LCD screen. He recommends dimming, auto-sleeping, and avoiding shot review as much as possible, along with a few other battery-saving techniques. More »
Design
