It’s summer! Protect your tech from the heat
Tech is expensive, and there are endless ways to ruin yours. Scan this list of five ways you might be destroying your phone, laptop, tablet and TV.
While we’re talking money, I put together a list of tech freebies you can grab right now.
Now, some bad news: Your smartphone hates the heat. Smartphones work best between 35 and 95 degrees. Colder or hotter, you risk hardware damage and shorter battery life.
So, what can you do when there’s record-breaking heat?
Steps to protect your phone
You can keep your phone happy, no matter the weather, with a few simple steps.
Stick to the shade. Be careful not to set your phone in the sun. Aim for the shade if you’re outside — or even in the car. Don’t set it on the sunny passenger’s seat. That’s a one-way drive to overheating.
Take off your phone case. They trap heat, which can be more or less problematic depending on the material it’s made from. Just be extra careful not to drop it and crack your screen. I keep one of these screen protectors on for this very reason.
Stuck outside or in a warm room? You want to make your phone as lightweight as you can, process-wise. Turn off Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and demanding apps. Games with lots of graphics, video streaming and other resource-intensive tasks can strain your phone’s hardware and cause it to overheat.
Your computer is at risk, too
This can happen any time of year, but the hotter it is, the more likely your laptop or even desktop can overheat. And like your phone, hot temperatures can do some real damage to the internal components. Try these steps.
Bust the dust: You’ll need a small screwdriver set, a can of compressed air (or an electric duster that never runs out) and some cotton swabs.
The best home security system for everyone under your roof
Having a home security system is a must these days. There are just too many criminals in the world to leave your protection up to chance.
But having a system watch your doors and windows isn’t enough. It also needs to protect you from disasters like fires and floods — especially if you have young children in your home or happen to be caring for elderly parents.