Why buy a netbook?

For most people, a netbook isn’t something you’d even consider purchasing until someone could sufficiently explain their purpose in life.  After all, they just look like little laptops.  Wouldn’t they just be hard to type on? And make you squint at a tiny screen?  If you had been an early adopter when this new category of devices debuted in October 2007 that would have been the case, but comfortable keyboards and easy to read screens are plentiful now.  Add to that all-day battery life and you have a solid case for getting your work done anywhere.  Did you know that netbooks are currently dominating Amazon’s “Bestsellers” list? We’ve all seen the “coffee shop office,” someone with a big 15″ to 17″ laptop tied to the wall with a power cord.  All that gear isn’t just cumbersome; it’s heavy to lug around with you and is far more computing power than what’s needed for web browsing, document creation, and even sneaking in a video or two.  On top of that, prices are averaging less than $400 for top of the line netbook models, and with Windows 7 just around the corner, now is a great time to see why these devices are so poular.

Keep your smartphone battery happy

Have you noticed that your battery isn’t lasting as long as it used to?  You’re not doing anything wrong, and your battery probably isn’t on the way out.  Over time, it’s natural for Lithium-Ion batteries to lose charge, sometimes as much as 3% per month.  You may not notice that kind of decrease immediately, but you certainly will over the course of six months.  The good thing for all of us is that the solution is easy, and you can do it yourself in just three simple steps.

1) Let your phone discharge completely. This means letting the battery run down t the point where the phone turns itself off.  Don’t worry, you won’t be doing this often enough to damage the phone.  Just two or three times a year should suffice.  Think of this as an oil change for your Smartphone.

2) Plug into the wall charger. Don’t turn the phone on, and avoid using your USB cable to charge (it’ll just take too long).  The reason for leaving your Smartphone off is so that when it’s completely charged, your battery meter will be as close to 100% accurate as possible.  We recommend doing this overnight so you know it’s fully charged by the time you get to step 3.

3) Unplug from the charger and turn it on! That’s it.  When your Smartphone boots back up it’ll be registering a much more accurate battery level for months to come.

Here are some tips to keep your battery in tip-top shape.

• Try not to let the battery drop to 0% unless you’re recalibrating using the method above.
• Even if you think your battery will last another day, it’s better to charge more often to increase its lifespan.
• Discharge levels double for every 18°F increase in ambient temperature, so don’t leave your phone in your car!