Maximize gadget battery life when you travel

November 19, 2012

Holiday travel is unpredictable. Even if you give yourself plenty of time to make it to Grandma’s house by turkey time, there’s not much you can do if your flight is delayed or if traffic is majorly gummed up. Not only will delays make you late, but they could also deplete precious resources—the battery life of your phone and tablet. Luckily, there are a few things you can do to extend battery life and save power. Robert CardinAvoid the crowded airport charging stations with some of these accessories and tips. Invest in a battery case A battery case for your phone adds extra battery life while also keeping it safe from the occasional drop and bump. Most of these cases sport connector plugs that pair up with the phone’s charge port, which is how they deliver the juice. The only downside is that you can't use any dock-cradle accessories without removing your phone from the case. Mophie Juice Pack One of our favorite battery charging cases is the Mophie Juice Pack Plus for the iPhone 4/4S ($100) and the Samsung Galaxy S III ($100). It almost doubles your phone’s battery life, doesn’t add too much extra weight, and you can still sync your phone using the included USB-to-Micro-USB cable. Plus, it has an on/off switch, which lets you control when the case sends juice to your phone. A solid choice for the iPhone 5 is Unu’s Ecopack ($80), which comes in multiple colors. There are also external battery cases for the iPad and other tablets. You'll particularly appreciate the power boost if you plan on watching videos while on an airplane or sitting shotgun in the car. The Padacs Enduro ($60) is a folio-style polyurethane case with a built in lithium-ion battery pack. This slim battery provides 8000mAh to boost the iPad’s battery life when it gets low—just plug the included adaptor cable into your iPad’s dock-connector port and hit the On button when you need more juice. The Enduro is available in different models for the iPad mini ($60), fourth-generation iPad ($60), and for the third-generation iPad and iPad 2 ($60). To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here

Link: http://www.techhive.com/article/2014300/maximize-gadget-battery-life-when-you-travel.html