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laptop

How to Keep Your Phone and Laptop Cool

Laptops, tablets, and smartphones can all naturally run warm, thanks to batteries stuffed into ever-shrinking cases. When temperatures climb, it gets even worse: Your gadgets might feel like they’re going to burn you or start a fire, performance can drop (e.g., your laptop slows down, or your phone keeps restarting), or your devices can give up altogether and refuse to work at all.

Here’s how to protect your devices from damage when it gets hot and make sure they continue to work well.

Basic Hot Weather Tips
Heat can harm all kinds of tech, so there are basic guidelines that are the same, whether we’re talking about the smartphone that’s burning a hole in your pocket or an overworked laptop.

•Don’t leave devices in your car.You shouldn’t leave your electronics in a closed, hot car; in a short time, the interior can turn into an oven-like environment.
•Protect your devices from the sun. The heat from direct sunlight can also damage laptops and other devices. Try a glare screen or a hood to keep the hot sun off your computer screen, and head to a shady area if you can.
•Let your device cool down before using it. Once you’ve escaped the heat, don’t turn on your device until it comes down to room temperature.

How to Stop Your Laptop from Overheating
Overheating laptops are an issue no matter what season it is or what the temperature. Laptops are prone to overheat, and the faster processors in ever-shrinking cases don’t help much

There are, however, things you can do if you see signs your laptop is overheating:

•Adjust the power settings to use less power
•Clean the vents
•Use a laptop cooling pad
•Shut it down when not in use
To prevent heat damage, also remove the laptop battery when you’re using it plugged in. Not all laptops support this, but if yours does, you should take the laptop battery out and store it in a cool, dry place so you can prolong its life.

How to Stop Your Phone or Tablet from Overheating
Tablets and smartphones are also subject to heat damage and performance issues. Because they can naturally run hot (even burning, can’t-even-hold-this hot), it’s hard to tell whether they’re overheating.

The warning signs of your cell phone or tablet overheating are very similar to the laptop overheating symptoms. The device can’t do basic tasks (e.g., opening an app), freezes, or abruptly shuts down.

When that happens, you’ll need to power down your tablet or smartphone and let it cool down before attempting to use it again.

Some other tips to keep your devices from getting hot include:

•Turn off battery-draining features and apps. The harder your phone or tablet works, the more heat it generates.
•Give it some air. A protective case might be a must when you’re exposing your smartphone or tablet to the elements (water, sand, kids, etc.), but if it’s overheating, take it out of the case to give it some breathing room. Similarly, remove it from your coat pocket or pocketbook.

Categories
Tips and Guidelines

How to Keep Your Phone and Laptop Cool

Laptops, tablets, and smartphones can all naturally run warm, thanks to batteries stuffed into ever-shrinking cases. When temperatures climb, it gets even worse: Your gadgets might feel like they’re going to burn you or start a fire, performance can drop (e.g., your laptop slows down, or your phone keeps restarting), or your devices can give up altogether and refuse to work at all.

Here’s how to protect your devices from damage when it gets hot and make sure they continue to work well.

Basic Hot Weather Tips
Heat can harm all kinds of tech, so there are basic guidelines that are the same, whether we’re talking about the smartphone that’s burning a hole in your pocket or an overworked laptop.

•Don’t leave devices in your car.You shouldn’t leave your electronics in a closed, hot car; in a short time, the interior can turn into an oven-like environment.
•Protect your devices from the sun. The heat from direct sunlight can also damage laptops and other devices. Try a glare screen or a hood to keep the hot sun off your computer screen, and head to a shady area if you can.
•Let your device cool down before using it. Once you’ve escaped the heat, don’t turn on your device until it comes down to room temperature.

How to Stop Your Laptop from Overheating
Overheating laptops are an issue no matter what season it is or what the temperature. Laptops are prone to overheat, and the faster processors in ever-shrinking cases don’t help much

There are, however, things you can do if you see signs your laptop is overheating:

•Adjust the power settings to use less power
•Clean the vents
•Use a laptop cooling pad
•Shut it down when not in use
To prevent heat damage, also remove the laptop battery when you’re using it plugged in. Not all laptops support this, but if yours does, you should take the laptop battery out and store it in a cool, dry place so you can prolong its life.

How to Stop Your Phone or Tablet from Overheating
Tablets and smartphones are also subject to heat damage and performance issues. Because they can naturally run hot (even burning, can’t-even-hold-this hot), it’s hard to tell whether they’re overheating.

The warning signs of your cell phone or tablet overheating are very similar to the laptop overheating symptoms. The device can’t do basic tasks (e.g., opening an app), freezes, or abruptly shuts down.

When that happens, you’ll need to power down your tablet or smartphone and let it cool down before attempting to use it again.

Some other tips to keep your devices from getting hot include:

•Turn off battery-draining features and apps. The harder your phone or tablet works, the more heat it generates.
•Give it some air. A protective case might be a must when you’re exposing your smartphone or tablet to the elements (water, sand, kids, etc.), but if it’s overheating, take it out of the case to give it some breathing room. Similarly, remove it from your coat pocket or pocketbook.

Categories
Tips and Guidelines

How to Keep Your Phone and Laptop Cool


Laptops, tablets, and smartphones can all naturally run warm, thanks to batteries stuffed into ever-shrinking cases. When temperatures climb, it gets even worse: Your gadgets might feel like they’re going to burn you or start a fire, performance can drop (e.g., your laptop slows down, or your phone keeps restarting), or your devices can give up altogether and refuse to work at all.

Here’s how to protect your devices from damage when it gets hot and make sure they continue to work well.

Basic Hot Weather Tips
Heat can harm all kinds of tech, so there are basic guidelines that are the same, whether we’re talking about the smartphone that’s burning a hole in your pocket or an overworked laptop.

•Don’t leave devices in your car.You shouldn’t leave your electronics in a closed, hot car; in a short time, the interior can turn into an oven-like environment.
•Protect your devices from the sun. The heat from direct sunlight can also damage laptops and other devices. Try a glare screen or a hood to keep the hot sun off your computer screen, and head to a shady area if you can.
•Let your device cool down before using it. Once you’ve escaped the heat, don’t turn on your device until it comes down to room temperature.

How to Stop Your Laptop from Overheating
Overheating laptops are an issue no matter what season it is or what the temperature. Laptops are prone to overheat, and the faster processors in ever-shrinking cases don’t help much

There are, however, things you can do if you see signs your laptop is overheating:

•Adjust the power settings to use less power
•Clean the vents
•Use a laptop cooling pad
•Shut it down when not in use
To prevent heat damage, also remove the laptop battery when you’re using it plugged in. Not all laptops support this, but if yours does, you should take the laptop battery out and store it in a cool, dry place so you can prolong its life.

How to Stop Your Phone or Tablet from Overheating
Tablets and smartphones are also subject to heat damage and performance issues. Because they can naturally run hot (even burning, can’t-even-hold-this hot), it’s hard to tell whether they’re overheating.

The warning signs of your cell phone or tablet overheating are very similar to the laptop overheating symptoms. The device can’t do basic tasks (e.g., opening an app), freezes, or abruptly shuts down.

When that happens, you’ll need to power down your tablet or smartphone and let it cool down before attempting to use it again.

Some other tips to keep your devices from getting hot include:

•Turn off battery-draining features and apps. The harder your phone or tablet works, the more heat it generates.
•Give it some air. A protective case might be a must when you’re exposing your smartphone or tablet to the elements (water, sand, kids, etc.), but if it’s overheating, take it out of the case to give it some breathing room. Similarly, remove it from your coat pocket or pocketbook.

Categories
Tips and Guidelines

How to Keep Your Phone and Laptop Cool

Laptops, tablets, and smartphones can all naturally run warm, thanks to batteries stuffed into ever-shrinking cases. When temperatures climb, it gets even worse: Your gadgets might feel like they’re going to burn you or start a fire, performance can drop (e.g., your laptop slows down, or your phone keeps restarting), or your devices can give up altogether and refuse to work at all.

Here’s how to protect your devices from damage when it gets hot and make sure they continue to work well.

Basic Hot Weather Tips
Heat can harm all kinds of tech, so there are basic guidelines that are the same, whether we’re talking about the smartphone that’s burning a hole in your pocket or an overworked laptop.

•Don’t leave devices in your car. You shouldn’t leave your electronics in a closed, hot car; in a short time, the interior can turn into an oven-like environment.
•Protect your devices from the sun. The heat from direct sunlight can also damage laptops and other devices. Try a glare screen or a hood to keep the hot sun off your computer screen, and head to a shady area if you can.
•Let your device cool down before using it. Once you’ve escaped the heat, don’t turn on your device until it comes down to room temperature.

How to Stop Your Laptop from Overheating
Overheating laptops are an issue no matter what season it is or what the temperature. Laptops are prone to overheat, and the faster processors in ever-shrinking cases don’t help much

There are, however, things you can do if you see signs your laptop is overheating:

•Adjust the power settings to use less power
•Clean the vents
•Use a laptop cooling pad
•Shut it down when not in use
To prevent heat damage, also remove the laptop battery when you’re using it plugged in. Not all laptops support this, but if yours does, you should take the laptop battery out and store it in a cool, dry place so you can prolong its life.

How to Stop Your Phone or Tablet from Overheating
Tablets and smartphones are also subject to heat damage and performance issues. Because they can naturally run hot (even burning, can’t-even-hold-this hot), it’s hard to tell whether they’re overheating.

The warning signs of your cell phone or tablet overheating are very similar to the laptop overheating symptoms. The device can’t do basic tasks (e.g., opening an app), freezes, or abruptly shuts down.

When that happens, you’ll need to power down your tablet or smartphone and let it cool down before attempting to use it again.

Some other tips to keep your devices from getting hot include:

•Turn off battery-draining features and apps. The harder your phone or tablet works, the more heat it generates.
•Give it some air. A protective case might be a must when you’re exposing your smartphone or tablet to the elements (water, sand, kids, etc.), but if it’s overheating, take it out of the case to give it some breathing room. Similarly, remove it from your coat pocket or pocketbook.

Categories
Tips and Guidelines

8 Privacy Tips When Using Your MacBook in a Public Place

Using your MacBook in a public setting is risky. So, rely on these privacy tips to stay safe while you work.

Leaving home or your regular workplace and working somewhere public, like a coffee shop, could be a great way to improve your productivity. Sometimes, it might even be necessary if your regular workspace is unavailable.

However, working in public places can open you up to several privacy risks. You’re working where people you don’t know could find ways to view information on your MacBook. You can’t afford to take the same risks you would take if you were working in a more private environment.

1.Have a Password, and Don’t Use Password Hints
Some people don’t think they need passwords on their devices, which might be founded if it’s permanently in a safe location. But, if you take your MacBook out into a public place, we strongly advise you to add a password.

You can add a password in System Settings > Touch ID & Password. Select Set from the Password section, and enter a new hard-to-guess password. Resist the temptation to add password hints because that could give someone that knows information about you clues as to your password.

2.Automatically Lock Your Mac When Inactive
Because most public places you’d be working in might be places where you could also easily get food, drinks, or beverages, you may have to leave your MacBook to use the bathroom. That means you’ll likely leave your Mac unattended for a little while.

Whether it’s the bathroom or a little errand, you should set your MacBook to lock once you leave it unattended. Here’s how to set it up:

•Click the Apple menu in the menu bar and choose System Settings from the dropdown.
•Select Lock Screen on the sidebar.
•Set the options Start Screen Saver when inactive and Turn display off on battery when inactive to 1 minute.
•Set the option Require password after screen saver begins or display is turned off to Immediately.

3.Work With a Dim Screen or a Privacy Screen
If you’re doing something sensitive on your Mac, and you’d rather someone beside or behind you can’t see it, you should lower its brightness as low as you can manage. Or, you could buy a privacy screen protector.

You can lower the brightness on your MacBook by pressing F1 on your keyboard or using the slider on the Touch Bar. And if you think that it’s not dim enough at its lowest, you can use an app to lower your Mac’s brightness even more.

4.Use FileVault Encryption
One of the advantages of using a password on your Mac is that you can add FileVault on top of it. FileVault is Apple’s encryption technology for macOS that encrypts all the data on your hard drive once you lock your Mac, and it decrypts everything on the fly only after you unlock it.

5.Download and Install a Good VPN and Antivirus
Add another layer of security while out on those public networks with a VPN and antivirus. A VPN will mask your IP address by encrypting your internet traffic, while an antivirus will proactively stop malware.

You don’t even have to spend money getting these types of software. Check out our guide on the best free VPN for macOS, and choose from our list of the best truly free antivirus software for your Mac.

6.Backup Your Data and Update macOS Regularly
Other people, who don’t use public networks, have the luxury of delayed updates. But you, who uses public networks, don’t. That’s because Apple constantly rolls out security patches for macOS, and public network hackers could exploit old macOS security gaps.

Turn Automatic Updates on by going to System Settings > General > Software Update. Click the Info (i) icon next to Automatic updates and toggle everything on.

7.Disable Automatic Wi-Fi Connections
Your Mac automatically connects to available Wi-Fi networks when there are no known Wi-Fi networks in range. This could open you up to joining risky public networks because they require no passwords.

Go to System Settings > Wi-Fi and toggle on Ask to join networks. This will prompt you with a notification alert when your computer wishes to join an unknown network, and you can either decline or accept.

8.Turn Off Bluetooth Unless You Absolutely Need It
Bluetooth could be a big security risk, especially if your MacBook is discoverable. You can read more about the threats Bluetooth poses to your device’s security in our dedicated guide on that topic.

In any case, macOS is designed to keep Bluetooth on for functions like AirDrop and AirPods. However, you should consciously head to the Control Center (the switch icons in the top-right corner of the menu bar), click Bluetooth, and toggle it off before you head out. You should only turn it on when you really need it and avoid connecting to devices you’re not sure about.

Categories
Tips and Guidelines

How to Get Your Windows 11 Battery Report

This article explains how to use Windows 11 battery report. The Windows 11 battery report is an HTML document that users can generate with a single command.

How to Get a Windows 11 Battery Report From the Command Prompt
The method to get a Windows 11 battery report hasn’t changed from the Windows 10 battery report. You can use the Command Prompt, PowerShell, or third-party utilities. The Command Prompt is the simplest and quickest way.

1.Open the Command Prompt. In the taskbar, search for Command Prompt, or right-click Start (the Window icons) and select Terminal.

2.In the Command Prompt window, type powercfg /batteryreport

3.The battery report automatically generates and saves as an HTML file in a user folder on the C Drive. Browse to the default path from File Explorer: C:\Users[YOUR USERNAME]\battery-report.html

4.Select the file and open it in the default browser.

5.Scroll through the report. Go to the Installed batteries section and examine Design Capacity and Full Charge Capacity.

6.The breakdown of information is the same as Windows 10 battery report. Compare Design Capacity to Full Charge Capacity and see how much the battery can hold now. A lower Full Charge Capacity indicates a drop in battery health.

7.Read the Cycle Count. The number shows the charging and recharging cycles the laptop battery has gone through. A high cycle count will decrease the battery’s health more rapidly over time.

Does Windows 11 Consume More Battery?
No. Your Windows 11 laptop should be more battery-efficient than a Windows 10 laptop.

Microsoft designed Windows 11 to draw less power from the battery. Performance optimizations include sleeping tabs on Microsoft Edge which should use 37% less CPU on average than an active tab. Windows also prioritizes the active app in the foreground, giving it a greater share of the memory and CPU resources. Under the hood, apps and the OS itself exert a lighter load on the disk.

Windows 11 has specific hardware requirements that require more power-efficient Intel (8th-gen or later) and AMD (Ryzen 2000 series or later) chips.

Categories
Battery

How Lithium-ion Batteries Work

Lithium-ion batteries power the lives of millions of people each day. From laptops and cell phones to hybrids and electric cars, this technology is growing in popularity due to its light weight, high energy density, and ability to recharge.

So how does it work?

THE BASICS
A battery is made up of an anode, cathode, separator, electrolyte, and two current collectors (positive and negative). The anode and cathode store the lithium. The electrolyte carries positively charged lithium ions from the anode to the cathode and vice versa through the separator. The movement of the lithium ions creates free electrons in the anode which creates a charge at the positive current collector. The electrical current then flows from the current collector through a device being powered (cell phone, computer, etc.) to the negative current collector. The separator blocks the flow of electrons inside the battery.

CHARGE/DISCHARGE
While the battery is discharging and providing an electric current, the anode releases lithium ions to the cathode, generating a flow of electrons from one side to the other. When plugging in the device, the opposite happens: Lithium ions are released by the cathode and received by the anode.

ENERGY DENSITY VS. POWER DENSITY
The two most common concepts associated with batteries are energy density and power density. Energy density is measured in watt-hours per kilogram (Wh/kg) and is the amount of energy the battery can store with respect to its mass. Power density is measured in watts per kilogram (W/kg) and is the amount of power that can be generated by the battery with respect to its mass. To draw a clearer picture, think of draining a pool. Energy density is similar to the size of the pool, while power density is comparable to draining the pool as quickly as possible.

Categories
Tips and Guidelines

Laptop Battery Conditioning and Maintenance

If you always work while connected to AC power, the battery doesn’t discharge: its electrons stagnate, and the battery’s life span is reduced. Make a habit of working on battery power at least once a month. It is a good idea to occasionally drain the battery all the way, then fully charge it before using battery power again. Putting your iBook or Powerbook to sleep for transport is another way to reduce battery life. It is better to shut down the laptop when it will not be used for several hours.

If you do use your laptop on battery power a lot, you may want to consider purchasing a spare battery. One thing to remember, though: batteries like to be used, not tucked away for months at a time. They will develop a diminished capacity if they are just sitting in your bag. Rotate your spare battery with your original one on a regular basis.

Features and activities you should be aware of that drain a battery faster:
•Bright screen (use the brightness controls to dim the backlight)
•Hard drive access
•CD/DVD drive access (remove CD’s and DVD’s when you are not using them, and preferably use them only on AC power)
•Peripherals (printer, digital camera, external drive, etc. Disconnect when not using.)
•Wireless network access (Turn off when not in use. Click on the Airport icon, or right click on the wireless icon on a PC to turn off or disable.)

Use Power Management
Windows 2000/XP:
•Right click on Desktop and select “Properties” from the menu.
•Select Screensaver tab.
•Click on “Power” button on the bottom right of the window.
•Choose among the following Power Schemes: Home/Office Desk, Portable/Laptop, Presentation, Always On, Minimal Power Management, and Max Battery. Each Power Scheme will display the length of idle time before your monitor and hard disks will be shut down, and the system will go into Standby or Hibernation modes.

Mac OSX:
•Click on the Blue Apple menu icon and select “System Preferences”.
•Select “Energy Saver”
•Choose from Normal, Better Battery Life, or Better Performance options.

Calibrate the Battery
Most manufacturers recommend that you calibrate your battery every few months. This involves draining the battery until the laptop goes to sleep, then recharging it to 100%.