Many people are moving away from their landline phones in favor of cell phones. Even still, the primary benefit is still a cell phone’s portability. To get the most out of your phone, you’ll have to get the most out of your phone’s battery. When it comes to your battery, there are two things to consider: how to make it last longer between charges and how to prolong the life of the battery.

Increasing Runtime Between Charges

• Turn the phone off. It may sound counter-intuitive at first, but this is the simplest and most effective way to conserving battery

Last month, we talked about how Microsoft and Intel engineers worked on improving laptop battery life with Windows 7. Beyond simply improving the efficiency of the Operating System, Microsoft has also introduced energy-saving applications.

One of the cool new features of Windows 7 is the Energy Efficiency Report. Basically, this will find out what’s eating up your laptop battery power and analyze the efficiency of your computer.

How do you run this report? Just follow these steps:

1. Go to your start menu, type in “cmd” and right-click on the Command Prompt result to “Run as Administrator

For more information on maintaining your batteries when they are not in use, you can also read our article on winter battery maintenance.

• New batteries should be given a full charge before use.
• New batteries need to be cycled several times before reaching full capacity (20 – 50 cycles, depending on type). Usage should be limited during this period.
• Battery cables should be intact, and the connectors kept tight at all times. Systematic inspection is recommended.
• Vent caps should be kept in place and tight during vehicle operation and battery charging.
• Batteries should be kept clean, free of dirt and

PHMSA Launches SafeTravel Initiative

Yes, it’s safe to bring batteries and battery-powered devices on board passenger aircraft, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) – as long as you take a few simple precautions. DOT’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) wants to let everyone know what those precautions are.

“Americans increasingly own – and travel with – portable telephones, computers, cameras, camcorders, entertainment devices, and medical equipment – even cordless power tools,” stated PHMSA Chief Safety Officer Stacey Gerard.

“Batteries are becoming more and more powerful, using more and more varied technologies, to provide longer life for … Keep Reading

Short Service Life Experience with Batteries

It has come to our attention that two dominant powersport vehicles are sometimes experiencing short battery life. These are V-Twin large cubic-inch custom motorcycles and SeaDoo personal watercraft

V-Twin Custom Motorcycles

With the introduction of large cubic-inch engines, i.e., 108-120+, required starting energy is at minimum double that of stock smaller cubic-inch V-twin engines. The old rule of thumb is that it takes 20 minutes of highway riding to recharge the battery for a single start. These larger engines require at least 40 minutes. These custom bikes generally are ridden more in town, short … Keep Reading

To help illustrate how a battery works, let’s begin by using a more simple battery like the alkaline. All batteries have a cathode (positive) and an anode (negative) portion of the battery.

The alkaline cathode is a mixture of manganese dioxide, graphite and an electrolyte. This mixture is granulated, aged in storage and then compacted into hollow cylinders called preforms. These preforms are inserted into a steel can. The steel can and mixture now become the cathode, or the positive charge of the alkaline. To keep the material from leaking, an indentation and sealant are used.

The cathode and … Keep Reading