You wouldn’t buy a nice car and you wouldn’t change the oil. So why are we treating our technology so badly?
If you want your expensive phone, computer, and everything else to last, read on.
1. You are always connected
Don’t get into the (bad) habit of plugging in your phone whenever the battery is dead.
According to Apple, keeping your iPhone “fully charged for long periods of time” can impact battery health.
The same advice applies to Androids. Samsung recommends not leaving your phone connected to the charger for long periods of time or overnight.
Are you charging your phone all wrong?
Huawei says, “Keeping the battery level as close to the middle (30 percent to 70 percent) as possible can effectively extend battery life.”
The official statement is: keep your phone charged – but not always fully charged.
The good news is that most devices are smart enough not to resume charging until they reach a certain battery level.
However, unplug your devices after they are fully charged.
2. You wait too long to charge your laptop
If your laptop battery is completely drained frequently, the intended lifespan will be reduced. Laptop batteries, like phones, are only designed for a limited number of charges.
Your laptop battery can also lose efficiency in other ways. Say you regularly charge your laptop from 30 to 50 percent, so about 20 percent each time.
Do that five times and you’ve completed a battery cycle since your laptop is 100 percent charged.
A good rule of thumb is? Keep your battery at least 40 percent charged most of the time.
If your laptop battery is completely drained frequently, the intended lifespan will be reduced
Pro tip: Don’t keep your laptop plugged into a charging cable all the time, either. This can also reduce battery life.
Would you like to know how your laptop battery is performing? This trick will show you when you might need to replace it. Check it out here.
3. You are shallow
It is not enough to remove fingerprints from the screen.
Almost all of our everyday devices can get dirt, dust, and other debris collecting in ports, speakers, and other small crevices. Don’t just ignore the mess – clean it up properly.
You might be tempted to grab a toothpick or cotton swab as you have those nearby. Be careful.
The delicate ends of toothpicks can penetrate your electronics or even damage small speakers. Q-Tips often leave behind lint that is difficult to remove.
Follow this clever plan of attack to clean your phone inside and out.
4. Your phone gets too much sun
Most smartphones are rugged. Yours will probably withstand dust and some water. One thing it’s not built for is sweltering temperatures.
Leaving your phone in a hot car or in the sun can cause serious damage. The battery could overheat and you could even lose or corrupt your data.
Even extremely cold temperatures are tough. Lithium-ion batteries can no longer discharge current at sub-zero temperatures.
This can decrease battery life, cause display issues, and even crack the display glass. Oops!
Don’t leave your wireless router open to hackers
5. Your router is wide open
You’d be surprised how many people never changed their router’s default password. Bad move.
Of course, it’s easier for someone to hijack your wireless network, but a particularly sneaky hacker can use your network to attack your devices. You might even download dangerous files or visit illegal websites through your router.
Step One: Create an original password that is difficult to crack. You can change this on your router’s admin page. Do you need help? Here’s how.
Search for “Remote Management”. This allows you to log into and manage your router over the Internet.
If you’ve ever called tech support, you may have experienced something similar: a technician talks to you on the phone and then operates your computer as if he were right next to you.
Remote management is a handy tool, especially for fixing a problem, but it leaves your computer vulnerable to hackers.
Disable this feature unless you need it. You can find this in your router’s settings, usually under the “Remote Management” heading.
You can turn it back on whenever you need to. The last thing you need is to invite strangers into your home network.
Kim Komando hosts a weekly call-in show where she offers advice on technology gadgets, websites, smartphone apps and internet safety.
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