Extend your notebook battery life

Do you keep your notebook computer mostly connected to the power outlet with the battery installed? If that's the case then you might want to explore the power settings of your laptop. Frequently, such as with Toshiba and Lenovo, you'll find customized software from the notebook's manufacturer that allows you to configure various settings of your PC, including the battery settings. These can usually be found under 'power options'.

In case of Lenovo, the settings to extend your battery's lifespan while connected to the mains is under 'Maintenance' of the batter settings. Here you normally would find two options, either 'Always fully charge' or 'Optimize for battery lifespan'. Choose the latter one. This will probably stop charging the battery around 50% even while connected to a power outlet, thus preserving the battery under the best condition. I only found this out recently when my notebook notified me that I might want to get a new battery. Now I only get about 45 minutes instead of the 90 minutes when it was new. Yeah I know what you're saying, even 90 minutes is pretty lame. The 9 hour battery life of the macbook air is one of the reasons that make it one of the best notebook currently available imho.

Mophie releases 12.000 mAh battery pack

The accessory maker has extended it's line of "Powerstation" external batteries. The new XL model equipped with two USB ports that both feature 2,1 Ampere output can charge 2 iPad's at full speed and at the same. According to Mophie an iPhone can be charged up to 8 times.

The external battery features 4 LED lights that show how much charge is left and can be recharged by a Micro USB cable. The dimensions of the Powerstation XL are 11,4cm long, 7,1cm wide and 2,3cm high and weighs 440 gram. It will be available next week in the USA for 130 dollars.