Mobile Apptitude

As I have become increasingly dependent on my BlackBerry, I have become more vigilant about ensuring that my battery doesn’t die.  Here are some tips that I have found on various sites (CIO, Crackberry):

• Turn off unnecessary wireless connections - Make sure to turn off Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and even your cellular connections when you don’t need them.  This is especially important in areas where coverage is spotty – your phone increases radio strength to find signals when they are weak.  You can do this through the “Manage Connections” tool.
• Shut off your device at night – You can set your BlackBerry to automatically shut off each night.  Use the “Options” tool.
• Simplify notifications - Limit situations in which your phone vibrates or rings.  You probably don’t need your phone to vibrate and ring at the same time.  If you get 100+ emails per day, do you really need to be notified each time?  Use the “Profiles” tool.
• Dim your backlight - Those beautiful screens can suck up some serious juice.  You probably don’t need the screen very bright, especially if you spend most time indoors.   You can also shorten the time that the backlight is enabled.  Go to “Options” and then “Screen/Keyboard”.
• Beware of certain apps - Certain apps such as Viigo and Facebook (if you are a social butterfly) are in constant communication with the wireless network.  Delete the apps or see if they have settings that enable you to limit updates.
• Close apps running in the background - Even if you aren’t using an app it can continue to suck juice.  Hold down the ALT key and then hit the escape key to see what apps are running in the background.  Close those that you don’t need (although I don’t think that the “core” apps like Phone and Messages are closable).
• Put your phone in standby – This turns off power to the keyboard and backlight.  Hold down the Mute button on the top of your phone.
• Clean your battery connections – They get dirty over time, decreasing their efficiency.  Be gentle.  Look for products designed to clean electronics.
• Use the holster – It puts the BlackBerry to sleep.