How the Internet of Things is changing privacy

In a world where almost every device connects to the Internet, and life without the web is inconceivable, privacy is a luxury we can no longer afford. Wouldn’t it be great to be able to enjoy everything the Internet has to offer yet still enjoy some privacy?

Recent studies indicate that the sheer number of AI-enabled virtual assistants will surpass humanity by 2021. Wearables, smart-home devices and smart TVs are expanding their share rapidly amid the increasing diversity and versatility of AI. Four years from now, this group alone will count roughly 1.6 billion devices. But the proliferation of smart devices comes at a heavy cost – one we’ve been paying willingly, for the sake of their services: privacy & security.

Digital assistants like Amazon’s Alexa and Apple’s Siri are constantly listening for user input, and learning, to deliver their invaluable contextual services. Biometric hardware like smart bracelets and smart watches store copious amounts of information about our physiology. Smart TV’s now come equipped with cameras. It only takes a piece of malware like Mirai to make one realize just how easy it is for hackers to grab control of these devices and peek into our private lives.

Consumers today are practically surrendering their privacy with each new dumb device they upgrade. Those who go to the trouble of reading the privacy policy / data collection policy for each smart device they use can be considered a minority. Or, to make them justice, an elite. A Pew Research study from 2014 revealed that half of online Americans didn’t even know what a privacy policy was.

Worse still, the cultural understanding of the “privacy policy” label among many consumers is that it “protects” your privacy, which couldn’t be farther from the truth.

“The general sense among marketers is that people understand that their data is being used, but we’ve found in our research that people don’t truly understand how data mining works,” according to Joseph Turow, who studies privacy at the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg School for Communication. “They may realize that one or two pieces of their information are being given out; what they don’t realize is that those one or two data points can be linked with other sources to uncover information they would have never given out in the first place.”

In other words, users are unaware that by giving away different pieces of information to different services, someone with access to that data can connect the dots and make a more complete profile of the user.

Experts warn that privacy challenges will, in fact, worsen as wearables, smart cars, smart home appliances and other members of the IoT family become linked together. Anticipating this trend, Bitdefender created BOX, a central hub that protects an entire household of connected devices, from smart TVs to Wi-Fi thermostats to gaming consoles.

As for smartphones, tablets and laptops, even connected on public networks they are secured as they were at home – protected from malware, data theft, fraud, phishing, spying and online threats. The iOS/Android BOX app keeps users informed on network events and offers access to parental controls. Users can push updates, locate lost devices, perform system tune-ups, even limit international data roaming or mobile plans.

IoT proliferation has the potential to infringe on basic human rights and Internet principles by collecting data with an unprecedented level of detail. Instead of crippling services for the sake of preserving our privacy, BOX works proactively to secure our data and enable smart devices to work as intended.

The best gaming laptops for 2017

Your guide to the latest and best gaming laptops of 2017. Check out our latest reviews and buying advice on the top gaming laptops for this year.

What’s the best gaming laptop you can buy in the UK?

  1. Asus RoG G752VM

The Asus ROG G752VM is a terrific gaming laptop for those who want top performance in a form designed to handle that power with ease. It doesn’t get overly hot or loud, even under a good amount of pressure, making us confident that even the step-up model with the Nvidia GTX 1070 GPU will also be a joy to use. As the prices of top-end style laptops like the MacBook Pro and HP Spectre 13 increase, the Asus ROG G752VM starts to look like an even better buy than last year’s models. And, as hoped, the latest 10-series Nvidia graphics cards blow away what came before. Despite being two rungs lower, gaming performance is not all that far off the former top dog GTX 980M, and similar to that of the desktop-grade GTX 970. In other words, it’s perfect for 1080p gaming. There are just a few issues. A textured glass (rather than plastic) trackpad would have been appreciated and we’d like to see Asus put a little more work into the sound quality of the speakers, rather than just trying to make them as loud as possible.

  1. Asus ROG Strix GL702VM

We have just one issue with the Asus ROG Strix GL702V: its trackpad does some strange things, most likely because of driver issues. Operating under the assumption this can or will be fixed, this is a great gaming laptop. It’s not incredibly expensive by today’s standards but still gets you desktop-grade gaming power, a good display, solid build and fair battery life. Thanks to the great power of Nvidia’s latest laptops graphics cards, this could well be the only gaming machine you need. And this particular one is hundreds cheaper than some others using the same GPU.

  1. Alienware 15 R3

The Alienware 15 R3 is a gaming laptop that is hard to beat. It has as much power as any of its mainstream rivals, and has lighting that is both eye-catching and customisable, but can also be switched off when you’d rather let you laptop slip into the background. It’s very well-made, the keyboard is great and the frame has some connections you sometimes only see in a laptop dock. However, its omission of a memory card slot is odd, the fan system is fairly loud and while hardcore gamers may appreciate the use of (in some models) a TN display it doesn’t do pure image quality many favours. As usual with an Alienware machine, you can find similar specs for less money from value-driven alternatives from, for example, PC Specialist and the HP Omen range. Its price is competitive with its direct rivals, the Acer Predator and Asus RoG series, and this is easily the slimmest and classiest-looking of the trio.

  1. Alienware 17 R4

There’s no doubt that the Alienware 17 R4 is one of the most capable gaming laptops we’ve seen, making easy work of our CPU and GPU benchmark tests and providing generally smooth gameplay. The design is eye-catching too, sporting a flurry of customisable LEDs across the body of the laptop, although it’ll never look as sleek and attractive as a MacBook Pro.

But while the Alienware 17 R4 is a powerful beast, it’s not perfect; it gets hot and loud fairly quickly, it’s heavy at over 4kg and we feel like it should feature one or two more USB ports, especially when boasting VR compatibility. And while it is incredibly powerful, our build was incredibly expensive too.

  1. MSI GL62-6QC 065UK

The MSI GL62 looks like a pretty plain entry-level gaming laptop at first, but it has a few neat tricks up its sleeve. Not everyone’s going to love the SteelSeries keyboard, but its mechanical key-inspired feel is something different, and its display colour saturation is impressive at the price, even if the screen won’t blow you away in other respects.

This isn’t a laptop for hardcore gamers or performance snobs, but it is a solid machine with the right level of future-proofing and a display that makes a punchy first impression. Plus, it’s much more affordable than the latest gaming laptops with the fastest graphics cards.

Huawei Mate 10 latest rumours: Release date & UK pricing

Huawei’s Mate 10 is coming on 16 October, but the company may have already given us a look at one of the three upcoming versions. We reveal the latest rumours on what you can expect from the new phone, including the price, design and features, and newly leaked photos.

Huawei started 2017 with a bang: after announcing that the high-end Mate 9 would go on sale in the UK, it showcased the gorgeous and colourful Huawei P10. But in true Huawei fashion, the company isn’t done yet. In fact, Huawei is due to announce the bezel-less Huawei Mate 10 – and Mate 10 Pro – later this year.

At IFA 2017 in Berlin CEO Richard Yu announced details on the upcoming phone’s chipset: the 10nm Kirin 970. An innovative HiAI mobile computing architecture will deliver 25 times better CPU performance and 50 times greater energy efficiency, claims the company.

When will the Huawei Mate 10 be released in the UK?

Looking back at the November 2016 launch of the Huawei Mate 9, it’s safe to assume that the Huawei Mate 10 will launch around the same time in 2017. While there’s nothing official from the company just yet, a recent Huawei leak may have confirmed the date and location of the announcement.

The confirmation comes from an official invite with the tagline “Meet the device worth waiting for” scribbled on a backdrop featuring the number 10, suggesting it’ll focus on the Huawei Mate 10.

The invite claims that the launch will take place on October 16, 2017 in Munich, Germany. While it’s a little earlier than the launch of the Mate 9 last year, it also took place in Munich, leading us to believe this is the real deal.

At IFA 2017, RIchard Yu, CEO of Hauwei has confirmed during a keynote that it is indeed the Mate 10 that will be launched on 16 October. He also revealed the processor that will be in the phone – see below.

We’ll update this section when we know more, but it’s safe to assume we’ll see the announcement of the Huawei Mate 10 on 16 October 2017.

Evan Blass has suggested the Mate 10 Lite and Standard models will ship later in October, with the Mate 10 Pro coming in December.

How much will the Huawei Mate 10 cost?

While we won’t know the official UK price of the upcoming Huawei Mate 10 until it’s announced in October (and maybe not even then, judging by previous Huawei announcements), we can look back at the launch of the Huawei Mate 9 to hazard a guess.

Back when the Huawei Mate 9 was first launched, it set UK consumers back £599. While that may seem a little steep, it was filled with high-end tech that also made its way into the Huawei P10 months later.

Now, if the below design and feature rumours are to be believed, Huawei could either be extremely smart and stick to the £599 price point and make its bezel-less display a true Galaxy S8/LG G6 competitor, or it could charge a little more and compete directly with flagship smartphones. Some rumours suggest it could cost more than $1000 (around £725).

We hope it’s the former, but we’ll have to wait to find out for sure.

How to protect your PC from CCleaner hack

How to ensure your PC is safe following an August CCleaner attack that affects 2.27 million users.

CCleaner has been hacked, it has emerged, putting some 2.27 million PC users at risk. CCleaner is a clean-up utility, so the last thing users would expect it to do is add malware to their computers.

The malware, which has been present in the software for the past month, sends various data such as the computer name, IP address, and lists of installed and active software and network adapters to a server in the US.

Piriform, the company behind CCleaner, is adamant that no sensitive data has been targeted, and confirms that it has now shut down this server before any known harm could be done.

How to protect your PC from the CCleaner hack

The good news is that Piriform has already fixed the vulnerability, taken down the server and, for those running the Cloud version (1.07.3191) of its software, the update has been automated.

However, those running the standard version will want to ensure they have updated to the latest version, particularly if they downloaded it in the past month.

The affected software is CCleaner 5.33.6162 (32-bit). Users should ensure they are running version 5.34 or higher.

You can download the latest version of CCleaner from Piriform’s website.

If you would rather uninstall CCleaner from Windows 10 go to Start, Settings, System, Apps & Features, then find it in the list and select Uninstall.

How to move to SD card on Android

We explain how to move apps to an SD card, and how to store files and photos on a memory card in an Android phone or tablet.

Many cheap Android phones come with a paltry 4 or 8GB of storage, and even 16GB isn’t really enough for lots of apps, high-resolution photos and videos, plus a music library. Fortunately, the vast majority of Android phones have a memory card slot, into which you can slot an inexpensive microSD card.

What you need to know about microSD

Before you buy one, check what capacity your phone will support. Flagship phones tend to accommodate 128GB or higher, but many cheap Androids accept only 32GB. To be fair, 32GB will be enough for most people. We’ve tested and rated all the best microSD cards.

Once you’ve got the microSD card, it’s easy to set things up so that it becomes the default place for new apps, photos, videos, music and more. You can switch the storage location within your camera settings or Google Play Music settings, for example. But what about the stuff already clogging up your phone’s internal storage?

How to move apps to SD card

First, let’s clear up something important: not all apps can be moved to microSD, and some phones won’t let you move apps to SD at all. This means phones with just 4- or 8GB of internal storage can still run into problems even with a microSD card if you download and use a lot of apps.

Whether or not an app can be moved to microSD is down to the app developer and, sometimes, the phone manufacturer.

The Galaxy S8 is one of several phones that does allow you to move apps to SD, but you should note that those apps won’t be available when you remove the SD card. The screenshots below have been taken on a Galaxy S8 and may look a little different to what you’re seeing on your own phone, but the process should be largely the same.

To move an app to the SD card select it in the Settings > Apps menu, then tap on Storage. If you are able to move the app to SD you will see a ‘Change’ button next to Storage used: Internal shared storage.

Here we’ve selected BBC iPlayer, which was not preinstalled on the phone and can be moved (preinstalled apps often cannot be moved). Also note our screenshot of Bixby Voice, however, which lacks this Change button and therefore can’t be moved.

To move an app to SD tap the Change button and select the SD card option in the pop-up menu. You’ll see a screen offering to export the app, warning you that you shouldn’t remove the SD card while this is in progress. Tap Move. The transfer will then take place.

It’s worth pointing out that many free apps are available that offer to automate this process for you. If you’re concerned about storage then adding yet another app probably isn’t the best idea, but you can always uninstall it once it has done its job.

Move to SD card greyed out

In older versions of Android you may find the option to Move to SD card will be greyed out, as is the case with the Amazon Music app that is preinstalled on this EE Harrier Mini. These apps cannot be moved to microSD.

Format SD as internal storage

Note that some phones require you to set the SD card as internal storage first, before you can migrate any data. The HTC U11 is an example so you’ll need to find the microSD card in the storage section of the settings menu and ‘Format as internal’. The process will be similar on other phones.

How to move photos, video, music and files to SD

The easiest method of moving files to SD is browse to Settings > Storage on your Android phone or tablet, then look for an option to ‘Transfer data to SD card’. Not all Android devices have this option, and if yours doesn’t you’ll need to manually move the files.

The second easiest way to quickly move photos, video, music and other files to a microSD card is to do so using a PC or Mac. Hook up the phone to your computer via a USB cable, then open a new window to browse its contents.

You should be able to see the phone’s internal storage and SD card as two separate storage devices. We’re using Android File Transfer on a Mac, which shows the Internal storage and SD card on separate tabs.

How to speed up Windows and make your computer faster

If Windows seems sluggish, you can restore good performance using these simple techniques. Here’s how to make your laptop or PC faster.

When you get a new laptop or PC, it always starts up and responds quickly. But as you install apps, games and fill up the hard drive with music, documents and photos it can slow down and even take minutes to start up. There are many things that can make Windows slow, but you should be able to restore most of its original speed without spending any money at all.

But if your laptop or PC has a traditional hard drive rather than a modern SSD, then it can be well worth spending some money and buying an SSD: it’s still the single most effective performance upgrade for most people.

Regardless of your computer’s hardware, there are various things you can do to speed up Windows, and here are our top tips.

Get rid of startup programs

Part of the reason well-used PCs take so long to start is because of all the applications and utilities you’ve installed. Many automatically run when Windows starts up, yet most of them don’t need to and should only use up resources when you actually need to use them.

At the right side of the taskbar, click the upwards-facing arrow to display the notification icons. Each is a program that loads with Windows. Some are essential – antivirus software for example – but others may not be. Right-click each one and if there is a Settings menu, select it and turn off the option to start automatically with Windows.

Some programs, such as Google Drive, can be manually started when they are needed instead of running all the time.

To disable all the other programs and ‘helpers’ apps that start with Windows, press Windows+R, type msconfig and click Ok. Select the Services tab, tick ‘Hide all Microsoft services’ and see what’s left.

There may be services you can live without and clearing the tick box prevents them from running. For example, Firefox works perfectly well without the Mozilla Maintenance Service.

On the Startup tab (use Task Manager – right-click on the taskbar and choose Task Manager in Windows 8 and Windows 10 to find this) are lots of programs that start with Windows. Knowing what to disable isn’t easy, but you can use Google to search for items and see if they are necessary, useful or neither of those.

Check for malware and other nasties

It’s advisable to run a system scan to ensure that there are no erroneous pieces of software causing harm and slowing down your machine. If you rely on Windows Defender for your security then you’ll need to go to the Start Menu>Settings>Update and Security>Windows Defender then in the right hand panel scroll down until you see Open Windows Defender.

Click this and then in the next window on the right hand side there are options to run a Quick, Full, or Custom scan. Make sure you won’t need your PC for a little while and opt for the Full version.

Then click on Scan now. If Windows finds anything untoward it will let you know and suggest ways to deal with the issue.

If you use another antivirus package, such as AVG, Norton, McAfee, or similar, you’ll need to launch the program and find the option to perform a system scan. They are usually very easy to discover.

Tame the visual effects

Windows 10 is quite a pretty operating system, with various animations used throughout. While these visual effects afford a sense of style they can also be a source of ponderance on machines that are a little older. Thankfully they are easy to turn off.

Open the Windows Start Menu and type advanced system settings and select the top result. In the window that appears there is a section marked Performance, with a button for Settings.

Click this and a list of the various visual effects will appear. You can either untick the ones you think might be problematic, or simply select the Adjust for best performance option at the top. Remember to click OK to save the changes.

Reinstall Windows

The ultimate speed-up technique is to reinstall Windows. This removes all unwanted software that slows down the PC, erases adware and other malware, clears out junk files and so on.

A Windows disc is needed for old versions of Windows, but Windows 8 and 10 have a built in Refresh option that makes the job easy. In Windows 8 bring up the Charms bar on the right side of the screen and click Settings, Change PC settings.

Click Update and recovery, then Recovery. Under Refresh your PC without affecting your files, click Get started.

In Windows 10, click the cog icon on the Start menu to bring up the new Settings app. Click Update & security, then choose Recovery from the menu on the left. You’ll see the ‘Reset this PC’ option on the right.

Free up disk space

Your PC’s hard disk slows down as it fills up and uninstalling software helps to free up space giving more room for Windows to work faster. Disk space can be freed up in various ways, and we’ve written a full guide to finding and deleting large and duplicate files.

You can delete files manually, or install a utility (we recommend some in that guide) to do a deeper search and make the job quicker and easier. There’s a right way and a wrong way to use these programs, though.

Select just a few items and clean them, making sure the app backs up the changes. If the PC is working OK, go ahead and clean a few more items, but if it isn’t, restore the backup. Do not clean everything in one go because if something goes wrong you won’t know where the problem is.

Upgrade your hardware

All of the techniques discussed so far for speeding up the PC take you only so far. They restore the original PC’s performance, but this may not be sufficient. An old PC might not be capable of running the latest game or other software you want to use. A five year old model will struggle with the latest games, apps and operating system. For this reason, a hardware upgrade may be required and this will boost the PC’s performance beyond its original specification and narrow the gap between your current PC and the latest ones.

The best waterproof phones for 2017

What does a waterproof IP rating mean?

IP stands for ‘Ingress Protection’ and is used to define the sealing effectiveness of electrical enclosures against intrusion from foreign bodies and moisture.

The first number refers to how the device sealed against solid particles like dust; the highest you can get is ‘6’ meaning total protection. The second digit is for water protection and the best you’ll see on most is ‘8’, going by the original IEC standard 60529 (6K and 9K are not part of this).

It’s worth noting that ratings water ingress are not cumulative beyond 6, so a device with a rating of 7 doesn’t have to compliant with the water jet element of 5 and 6.

If an IP rating has an X in it, don’t misinterpret this as the device having no protection. It’s likely to have good protection for particles if it’s IPX6, but the rating has not been formally allocated.

  1. Samsung Galaxy S8

Samsung has taken the best phone around and made it even better with an impressive Infinity screen and premium design. It ticks a shedload of boxes – as you’d expect from a flagship. It’s the best phone of 2017 so far, but it is expensive and the biometrics are a let down. The OnePlus 5 is already a strong competitor, and we’re keen to see what Apple can offer in way of a challenge with its iPhone 8.

  1. LG G6

The LG G6 is no doubt a striking smartphone. Metal and glass shimmer while the huge 18:9 screen is impressively brought to life with the improved software and its rounded corner design. It is a more refined smartphone than both the G4 and G5, and should appeal to a broader audience – even if its features aren’t the same globally.

There’s a lot to cover with the G6, and it’s a complicated phone to assess. The differences in hardware and the tweaks in software mean that is a phone that reveals itself to you slowly than the immediacy of, say, a Samsung Galaxy S. The design looks uniform at first until you realise how well it all comes together.

LG has quietly managed to build a mature phone with next to no bezels and some genuinely unique tweaks to software, leaving it feeling fresher and more creative than any Android phone we’ve seen for a while.

  1. Sony Xperia XZ Premium

The Sony Xperia XZ Premium is a stunning smartphone, both in terms of design and performance. The mirror-like look isn’t for everyone due to the appearance of smudges, but it helps provide an elegant, high-end look.

The 4K HDR display is one-of-a-kind, bright and vibrant, and shows off snaps taken by the impressive Motion Eye camera perfectly. The camera itself can handle almost anything you can throw at it, although performance does slip in low-lit conditions and the super slow-mo video mode takes some practice.

If you’re looking for a gorgeous high-end smartphone with a huge focus on display and cameras with above average battery life, the Sony Xperia XZ Premium is a solid option.

  1. Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus

As with the regular Galaxy S8, we’re really impressed by the Galaxy S8 Plus. Samsung has done a great job of making last year’s phones even better. However, with both offering the infinity edge screen and the unwieldy size of the S8 Plus, there’s little reason to spend the extra.

  1. Apple iPhone 7 Plus

The iPhone 7 Plus is an excellent phone. It’s Apple’s best yet, but it is also Apple’s most expensive yet, with a huge starting price. In some respects, the upgrades seem to justify this, but at the same time some features are arguably only catching up with what the competition has been offering for a while now – water-resistance for one.

Taken as a whole, the performance, battery life, camera quality and stereo speakers are all compelling reasons to upgrade. But our advice remains much the same as for the iPhone 7: if you already own the previous generation, there’s not enough here to justify ditching a 6S Plus, especially if you’re halfway through a two-year contract. Those just coming out of contract on the iPhone 6 or 6 Plus would do well to grab a 7 Plus.

  1. HTC U11

There’s a lot to like about the HTC U11 and while it certainly has flagship level specs, it’s hard to differentiate in the market against the likes of Samsung and LG. The glossy and colourful design is fresh but won’t be for everyone, even though we’re glad it’s finally waterproof. The key is wether you want the squeezable Edge Sense feature which is useful at times but not something we’re blown away by.

  1. Apple iPhone 7

The iPhone 7 is an evolution of the 6S, so if you were expecting a revolution you’ll probably be slightly disappointed. However, aside from the underwhelming battery life, it is an excellent phone. It’s waterproof, has fantastic cameras and performance, and the new stereo speakers sound great. There’s now 32GB of storage as a minimum, which helps to mitigate the higher prices.

  1. Samsung Galaxy S7

The Samsung Galaxy S6 was the best phone of 2015 and, although it’s still early days, the Galaxy S7 is a serious contender for best phone of 2016. Samsung has taken into account what its fans want, addressing the three main areas of concern: removable storage, waterproofing and battery life. It’s also upgraded the core hardware and photography gear, added an always-on display and some useful software. Right now the Galaxy S7 is simply unbeatable.

  1. Nomu S30

The Nomu S30 passed our durability tests with only superficial damage to the rubber case, standing up to both dunking in water and a launch across our patio. It has a large, bright screen, and decent performance for most users, but falls down on its camera quality, size and weight.

  1. Ulefone Armor

A capable rugged phone at a very good price, the Ulefone might not be the fastest handset out there or have the best screen but for many people it prove ideal.

Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact News: Release Date, UK Price, Features & Specs

A smaller version of the company’s new flagship, the Xperia XZ1 Compact will suit those wanting a smaller device. We outline the price, features and specifications for the Xperia XZ1 Compact, which goes on sale today.

Android phones are getting bigger and bigger every year, so it’s refreshing to see a 4.6in model announced with flagship specs. That phone is the Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact, which is now on sale in the UK. (Also read up on the Sony Xperia XZ1.)

We’ve written a review of this compact Android phone, but we’ll summarise the key new features and specifications you want to know here.

Perhaps one of the most interesting features about this upcoming phone – aside from its small iPhone-rivalling size – is the fact it runs Android Oreo, and is set to go on sale before the new Google Pixel phones have even been announced. It will be one of the first – if not the first – phones to come with the latest version of Android out of the box.

One of the things we love about Sony’s compact models is that they really are just smaller versions of the flagships, whereas many other manufacturers will also slim down the specs. So to that end you get the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, 4GB of RAM and 2700mAh battery, though without the wireless charging. Storage is halved at 32GB, but you still get microSD support for expansion.

The screen is different, clearly, at 4.6in rather than 5.2in. This has a resolution of 720p HD and this model does not support HDR.

Another key specification that is the same is the primary camera. While it’s not a dual-camera, following the footsteps of many 2017 flagships, it is a decent one. With a 19Mp Exmor RS image sensor and Motion Eye tech, the Xperia XZ1 Compact is – just like its bigger brother – able to take super-slow-motion video at 960fps per second, scan 3D images, and intelligently predict when you’ll take a photo by detecting movement or a smile and automatically beginning to buffer the image.

The selfie camera is 8Mp rather than 13Mp in the XZ1, but that’s still pretty impressive for a front-facing camera. This wide-angle camera has a 120-degree field of view to help you fit more into the scene.

It also has the same audio capabilities as its larger sibling, including support for high-res audio and the ability to upscale other content, stereo speakers and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

It, too, has a unibody design that is waterproof and tough against damage, but here it is a glass fibre and plastic composite rather than metal. Gorilla Glass 5 protects the screen.

The XZ1 Compact is available in Black, White Silver, Horizon Blue and Twilight Pink.

4 Ways to Take Better Care of Your Laptop’s Batteries

  1. Don’t get too attached.

When you plug your laptop in for the first time, you should make sure to fully charge it once to calibrate it. But after that, aim to keep it between 40 and 80 percent. Apple’s customer care says you should do this to “keep the electrons in it moving occasionally.” Wired has a better explanation of whyhere. But the bottom line is, doing this can help prolong your battery life by as much as four times.

I know that’s easier said than done. Just remember to keep an eye on your battery percentage (usually shown in a corner of your screen) throughout the day. If you leave your laptop at home, then shut it down, close it and keep it unplugged on a desk, not a couch.

You should also fully charge and discharge your computer’s battery at least once a month. Set a reminder on your phone or something. You forked over what I assume to be a ton of money for this thing, so paying attention to it once a month shouldn’t be a problem.

  1. Stay cool.

Most modern laptops are made with lithium-based batteries, which should be stored in temperatures between 50 and 95 degrees Fahrenheit. You might not always be able to keep tabs on that sweet spot, so to make things a bit simpler, room temperature is fine.

That being said, there are a few ways you can make sure your laptop isn’t constantly having menopausal hot flashes. You should start by minding its air vents. Most MacBook vents are located on the back of the laptop, near the top of the computer. Whenever you prop your laptop up on your bed, couch or lap, you’re likely blocking the airflow. This, in turn, causes the computer to overheat. And overheating will screw up your battery life.

That’s not to say you should be completely paranoid about keeping it on flat, cool surfaces all the time. But maybe consider moving it to a desk before you fall asleep or head to work.

  1. Update, update, update.

Most companies are constantly looking for ways to improve battery life via software updates. In fact, it was one of the main things Apple touted in its OS X Mavericks release last year. You may fear change, but change can extend your battery life. So make sure you have the latest software installed on your computer.

  1. Don’t just leave it there.

Maybe you’re in trouble with the law and need to disappear for six months. We understand how these things go. But that doesn’t mean you’re off the hook for correctly storing your computer. You should store it with a 50 percent charge in a consistently cool area. Storing the computer with a fully discharged battery might ruin the battery forever. And storing it with an absolutely full charge might cut the battery’s lifespan short.

Laptop Battery Care

“How do I extend the life of my laptop battery?” is a question we are frequently asked. It’s a valid question since laptop batteries are usually expensive to replace.

First of all, how long should your laptop battery last? 2-4 years is generally acceptable depending on how frequently you use and charge the battery. If you travel a lot and use and charge your battery frequently then you might only get a couple of years at the most out of your laptop battery.

Laptop batteries are usually made with Li-Ion batteries and the very nature of Li-Ion batteries is that they have about 300-500 charges and last at most about 4-5 years (shelf life). They also have a self-discharge rate of about 1% per day so you need to be sure to charge them at least every 6 months.

So how can you care for your laptop battery to get the maximum life out of it?

1.) Always use your laptop on a hard surface.

Laptops are portable and it’s easy to set your laptop on your lap or on your bed and use it at your lesiure. That’s one of the benefits of having a portable computer. Flexibility. But if you want to extend your battery life you have to watch out for overheating your laptop.

Heat is one of the biggest obstacles to battery life longevity. Your laptop computer fan cannot circulate the air properly when your laptop is sitting on soft surface.

2.) Do not keep your laptop battery installed when you use your laptop on AC for an extended period of time.

While your laptop is undoubtedly using a smart charger to charge your battery even a constant trickle charge over months can reduce your battery life. For best results, only charge your battery when you need to charge it, don’t leave the laptop battery plugged in all the time.

More importantly than the trickle charger affect is the ‘storage’ of a Li-Ion battery at elevated temperatures. The optimum storage temperature for a Li-Ion battery is at 0 deg. C. The optimum storage charge level is about 40%. Unfortunately we tend to store fully charged and at the temperatures found in a running laptop you’ll find a significant reduction in battery performance after only 12-18 months.

3.) Use a full charge cycle before recharging

Li-Ion and NiMH batteries (which most laptop batteries are), do not have a memory which you might find in NiCad batteries. However, each chemistry has a limited number of charge cycles, so use a full charge cycle before re-charging to maximize your battery usage.

Because this may be very difficult to manage, you’ll need to consider the cost-benefit ratio for keeping track of how far discharged the battery is before you charge it again.

4.) Be careful where you store your laptop

This goes back to the heat issue. Don’t leave your laptop in the car where it can get very hot. Batteries hate heat and your laptop battery will go on strike permenantly if you expose it to too much heat.

Remember that all laptops are not created equal. You may have gotten 4 hours from your last laptop while on battery, but your new laptop might pull more juice to run that gaming quality processor, or the power hogging programs you’re running now. Read your owner’s manual to find out what you should expect from your laptop battery and be sure to compare apples to apples when purchasing a replacement battery. Not all laptop batteries are made to the same specs. We recommend buying a battery that has at least as much capacity as your original battery (that’s the mAh rating), and preferrably the same chemistry as well.

If you simply aren’t sure what to get, check with a professional. Our customer service staff are trained to know how to compare batteries and they are happy to help find the right fit for your laptop.