Long flights are great for getting things done – processing photos, writing travel articles, organizing tasks.
But if you’ve got a long flight ahead of you, your laptop battery might not last the flight.
Here are some ways to make your laptop last longer on the plane... or any place that’s lacking in outlets:
- Don’t just sleep your computer, hibernate it. Most laptops go into “sleep” mode when you close them, but you’ll save more energy if you put it into “hibernate” mode instead.
- Turn off your Wi-Fi switch. When your Wi-Fi switch is on, your computer is always searching for networks. But if there aren’t any -- like on most planes -- turn off the switch to save energy. Check around the edges of your computer for a switch with a Wi-Fi symbol on it. And don’t forget to turn it back on when you want to connect again. (NOTE: Tomorrow I’ll send you free Wi-Fi codes you can use on your next flight to score free Internet access in the air. Stay tuned.)
- Use the touchpad instead of a mouse. Unplug all USB devices, including your mouse, and use only the touchpad.
- Dim the screen. The brighter your screen, the more power you’re using. (Most laptops will dim when you hold down the Fn button and use the down arrow).
- Close programs that you aren’t using. For example, if you have an instant messenger program open, but you can’t send any instant messages because you don’t have Internet access, then close the program.
If your battery does die and you’re looking for something to do, pick up the in-flight magazine. Give it a read to see what kinds of stories or photos you could submit for publication. While in-flight magazines are big, glossy, high-paying publications, there’s actually an easy, back-way in to get published in them. They’re not run like other travel magazines. Getting published in them is all about the approach.
