Joyce's Wall

Wednesday, 4 May 2016

Laptop Battery Life

How to extend the life of your laptop battery

Are you often frustrated at how quickly your laptop’s battery runs out of juice? Laptop batteries work on the same principle as your phone, tablets and pretty much every other battery in the world. That is, when the battery is in use, it’ll run down – it’s inevitable really. We’ve already covered how to make your iPhone and iPad battery last longer, and best battery charging practices, but here are five tips that will help to extend the life of your laptop battery.

1. Turn off unnecessary functions
The first step in extending your battery life is to turn off all the functions that you don’t need at the time. If you’re not using the internet or any wireless accessories, then turning off wifi and Bluetooth will give you longer battery life. If you do need wifi and Bluetooth on, then try blocking online apps such as Dropbox, AirDrop, OneDrive and iCloud. It also pays to turn off any apps that may update in the background, such as back-up software and location services.

2. Do one thing at a time
Having multiple apps open at any one time will drain your battery power faster than only having one open. So, if you’re running out of juice, using one app at a time will help you get more out of your battery. If you’re really running low, then using text-editing software, such as Apple Notes or Windows TextPad, will sponge less power from your battery.

3. Check your energy-saving settings
Your Mac laptop comes with a fantastic function for efficient use of power called ‘Energy Saver’. You’ll find a similar feature on your PC called ‘Power Options’. Both have automatic settings that can help to extend your laptop’s battery life, and also allow you to manually input settings, such as when to put your computer to sleep if you’re not using it, and other options to improve battery efficiency. You can also dim your screen and backlit keyboard, and mute your speakers to save battery power. Sometimes, turning down your screen resolution can also help maintain battery charge for longer.

4. Keep cool
Laptops tend to become hot when in use, and when they get hot, the cooling fans kick in which, you guessed it, uses more battery power. Try to keep your laptop cool by followingRyan’s tips to stop your laptop overheating.

5. Turn it off
It probably goes without saying that your computer uses less power whilst it’s not switched on. So, if you don’t plan on using it for a while, why not turn it off? Sometimes things are just that simple.

Tuesday, 3 May 2016

Searching

Technology tips: searching your iPhone, iPad or Android

Spotlight Search and S Finder are convenient tools that allow you search both your device and the internet. They are great for finding addresses and dates that you have forgotten or misplaced.

iPhone and iPad

To access Spotlight Search, unlock your iPhone or iPad and go to the Home Screen, which is the screen where you can see all your apps. The Home Screen can be accessed by pressing the button underneath the screen. Then place your finger on the centre of the screen and swipe downwards. Doing this will open up the Spotlight Search field; now all you have to do is perform your search. If you want, you can tap the little microphone icon and dictate the search term to your device.

Spotlight will now thoroughly search your iPhone or iPad for the term you entered, including your messages, emails, contacts, internet history and more. It will also search the internet for the term, so you should be able to find what you’re looking for.

If you don't want Spotlight Search to be able to access your Messages app, or any other app, then open up the Settings app and tap General > Spotlight Search and deselect the apps.

Samsung Galaxy

To access S Finder, swipe down from the top of your device's screen to open the Notification Tray. Now tap the S Finder button and enter in your search term. Your device will now look for that search term everywhere in your phone.

Once you’ve searched for something, you can narrow your search by categories, date or even certain locations. To do this, use the circular icons located underneath the search bar. If S Finder couldn’t find items that match your search term, you can scroll down to search Google for it.

Related articles:

Four iPhone and iPad tips and tricks
Awesome apps for forgetful people
How to set up a wifi hotspot

Thursday, 28 April 2016

Switch off computer?

Should you leave your computer on or switch it off at night?

It’s a popular belief that you shouldn’t leave your computer on all time because it wears down the components faster, but is there any truth to it? And can frequent shutdowns and start-ups lead to wear and tear as well?

According to technology experts, leaving your computer on all the time is less stressful than switching it on and off multiple times during the day.

Each time you turn on your computer, a small surge of power causes all the components to wake up and start spinning. Making your computer run through this motion several times every day can lead to a shortened lifespan. This risk is greater the older your computer is.

However, that’s not to say that leaving your computer on all the time doesn’t have its effects. As with any mechanical parts, constant use over time will eventually wear them down. Leaving your computer on all time often means heavier power usage, and can make it a pain to reboot after you eventually shut down, because the computer will take some extra time to process all the new information it has received before starting up again.

So, should you shut down or leave it on? It all comes down to how much you use your computer. If you use it several times throughout the day, it’s better to leave it running and let it slip into sleep mode. However, if you only jump on to it once in a day for a couple of hours, say to check emails or Facebook, then you can turn it off once you’re done.

As a recommendation, if you leave your computer on for weeks at a time, one thing you can do to extend its life is to perform a complete shutdown once per month. Also, once per week, close down your programs and restart the computer. This allows the machine to consolidate all information and clears it of old data that could be clogging it up.

Mobile background noise

Tech Q&A: Turning off background noise on your Android

Q. Fred

Hi, I have a Samsung and your article ‘How to turn off background noise on your iPhone’, doesn't help me with my Android. I have a hearing problem, and that would have been a good one for me, but I have a Samsung, so it’s not helpful. Is this function also available on Androids? Cheers, Fred.

A. Hi Fred,

Samsung phones do have a similar feature, and it is turned on by default. On the Samsung S5, the setting can be found by opening the Phone app and tapping the three-dot icon, located at the top-right, underneath the Contacts icon. Then tap Settings > Call, and you will find the option under ‘Ringtones and sounds’.

If you still have trouble hearing phone calls even with noise cancelling turned on, you might be able to improve the sound of calls by activating ‘Personalise call sound’. This feature is found in the same menu and allows you to adjust the way calls sound, based on your preferences, such as:

· ‘Adapt sound’ will enable you to customise the sound output of your phone, based on a quick test of your hearing in each ear

· ‘Soft sound’ will soften the sound of the other person on the phone and can be useful if the person you’re talking to is in a noisy environment

· ‘Clear sound’ will attempt to make a muffled voice clearer and easier to understand.

On the Samsung S3 and S4 you can find these options by opening the Phone app, then tapping the Menu button on your device, then tapping ‘Call Settings’. You can also access them by opening the Settings app and tapping ‘Call’.

Monday, 25 April 2016

Clear Browser History

How to clear your browser history and empty its cache

Are you having problems browsing the internet? You may have some nasties in your browser history and cache. Here’s how to clear them and restart with a clean slate.

Internet Explorer

· With your browser open, go to Tools > Safety, then click ‘Delete browsing history’.

· Select the data you want to remove. It’s best to check the boxes next to ‘Browsing history’, ‘Cached images or temporary internet files’, ‘Cookies’, ‘Download history’, ‘Saved form data’ and ‘Saved passwords’.

· Click ‘Delete’.

Microsoft Edge

· Click on the three lines at the top right-hand corner of your browser. This is called the ‘Hub’.

· Go to ‘History’.

· Select ‘Clear all history’ > ‘Show more’. From here you can choose the data you want to remove.

· Select the same data types as above.

· Click ‘Clear’.

Google Chrome

· Click the Chrome menu on the top right-hand side of your browser or go to Chrome in top menu, then click ‘Preferences’.

· Go to ‘History’ and click ‘Clear browsing data’.

· A menu will appear that gives you the option for how much history you want to delete, from ‘the last hour’ to ‘the beginning of time’. If you want to clear your entire history, click ‘the beginning of time’.

· Here you can also check the data you want to clear. I recommend that you select ‘Browsing history’, ‘Download history’, ‘Cookies’, and ‘Cached images and files’.

· Once you’ve selected what you want to delete, click ‘Clear browsing data’.

Firefox

· Go to the top menu and click ‘History’ > ‘Clear recent history’.

· A menu will appear with options for the time range you wish to delete, as well as the type of data you wish to remove.

· Check the boxes next to ‘Browsing & Download history’, ‘Cookies’, ‘Cache’ and ‘Active logins’.

· Click ‘Clear Now’.

Safari

· Click on ‘Safari’ at the top left-hand side of the browser.

· Go to ‘Clear history and website data.

· Select your desired time range to clear.

· Click ‘Clear history’.

· Quit Safari and once you reopen it, your cache will also be cleared.

There you have it. Your browser should now be free from nasties and unnecessary data that can bloat it and reduce its performance.

Thursday, 21 April 2016

New iPhone features

Three new features you didn’t know your iPhone had

With a focus on intelligence and proactivity, Apple's latest software update iOS 9.3 comes with a plethora of innovative new features that will change the way you use your phone and go about your day. Here are three standout features that are particularly valuable.

1. Selecting multiple photos
In the past, uploading or sending multiple photos required you to tap individual photos one by one. Now, you can select entire groups of phots at a time simply by sliding you finger across the screen.

Here’s how to select multiple photos:

1. in the Photo app, tap Select at the top right of the screen

2. place your finger on the first image you want to select

3. slide your finger along the screen to include as many photos in the selection as you want.

2. Using Night Shift to sleep better
The latest iPhone update has people buzzing about Night Shift, a feature that changes the colour temperature of your screen to match the time of day. Blue light has long been suspected of ruining sleep by affecting our brain’s production of the sleep hormone, melatonin. Night Shift switches your iPhone’s display to give it an amber hue, which is designed to help ease your brain into sleep mode.

To turn on Night Shift:

1. launch the Settings app

2. tap Display & Brightness

3. select Night Shift

4. adjust the brightness, timer and text appearance using the toggle functions.

3. Enabling power-saving mode
With the new Low Power function, your phone will kick into power-saving mode whenever the battery drops below 20 per cent. This works by suspending the background app refresh that your phone would normally perform, and reducing background lighting to conserve power.

To tell whether Low Power Mode is on:

1. look for the battery icon in the upper-right corner of the screen

2. If your battery is below 20 per cent, the battery icon will display as yellow rather than the usual red, indicating that Low Power Mode is working.

Laptop overheating

Tech Q&A: how do I stop my laptop from overheating?

Q. I have had a Dell laptop for over 3 years. It has been running fine, but over the last month or two it has been getting very hot. It also sometimes runs slowly or even turns off by itself, I suspect, because of the heat.

Is there a way to fix this or will I have to buy a new laptop?

Russell.

A. Hi Russell, you are most likely correct in suspecting that this is the cause of your laptop performing poorly and shutting down. Luckily, laptop overheating is, in most cases, relatively easy to fix.

Laptops typically overheat because there is not enough air is able to pass into them. This is usually because the air vents have become blocked by dust or something else is covering them.

A common design flaw in laptops is that the air vents are sometimes located on the bottom. So when the laptop is placed on your lap, your clothing may block the vents. For this reason you should never put a pillow between your lap and your laptop while you use it.

A quick and easy fix for this is to purchase a laptop stand or laptop cooler. These devices allow air to pass between your laptop and your lap or desk. For a quick fix, try placing your laptop on top of the bumpy side of an egg carton or two.

If you don’t use your laptop on your lap, the problem is likely being caused by accumulated dust in the vents. To fix this, you will need a small screwdriver and a can of compressed air (available at office supplies or computer stores). Before you proceed, you should make sure that opening your laptop case will not void your warranty. If your laptop is still under warranty, contact the manufacturer for assistance.

Now unplug your laptop, turn it off, close it and then remove the battery. Next, gently place it upside down and locate the screws so you can access the air vents. Some laptops allow you to remove the air vent covers, while others will require you to remove the entire bottom panel. If your device looks like it may be difficult to clean, or you’re not entirely confident, you may wish to ask a friend or family member for help, or perhaps take it to a computer store.

Once you have located the screws, unscrew them and remove the back panel. Hold the fans in place so that they cannot spin and try to blow the dust off in short bursts. Occasionally the dust may be so heavily accumulated that the compressed air will not be strong enough to dislodge it. In this case, you may attempt to dislodge it with a cotton bud. Don’t touch anything inside the laptop other than the fans. Make sure that you don’t blow the dust further into your laptop, as this will just cause further problems.

Now replace the back cover and screw it back on, then reinsert the battery. Turn your laptop on and ensure that the fans are working by listening for a gentle hum and feeling over the vents for airflow.

If your laptop is still overheating, you may have to take it to a computer repairs shop, or purchase a replacement.